Princess of Tokyo
by Fyras14
Summary: A travel through time that ends with an unforgettable meeting...one that could prove deadly to those involved. Or the story where Sucy makes a potion that sends everyone back in time. Another normal day in Luna Nova. Obviously. (Story first posted in AO3) Updates Monday and Friday.
1. Past and Impatience

**Author's Note:** Story was originally posted on AO3. It's already finished, but I will be updating it once a week. So it gives me time to make updates and finished a few other things. Hope you enjoy.

Edit 7/2/18: Added a few things here and there.

* * *

 **-1-**

 **Past and Impatience**

"HOMEWORK!?"

"Miss Kagari!"

"...Urk!"

Ah, another magical day in Luna Nova.

Akko just sunk into her desk to avoid looking at Anne Finnelan's glare, getting amused looks from all around. After a moment of silence, the teacher went on to explain the dreaded homework.

"As I was saying before being rudely interrupted," Finnelan sent a look at the girl who had caused said interruption, "this will be your last assignment before you leave for the holidays. Nothing too difficult. Nothing too extraneous, no matter what some of you might think." The professor cleared her throat and grabbed her wand, it's tip touching the blackboard behind her. In seconds, the blackboard glowed with green energy and soon, words and lines began to materialize on the surface.

"What you see here," Finnelan began, tapping the blackboard. "Is an example of a family tree...or a pedigree chart, however you wish to call it." The woman put her wand over her desk, and nodded towards her students. "Originally, the original plans for this final week before the holidays was doing revisions and essays but, I have decided, on insistence from the Headmistress due to the upcoming visit, to do this instead."

Most of the girls let out a sigh of relief. A family tree. Piece of cake! That was easier than a ten page essay describing the history of that rune, or the usage of that other one. Or how can one forget the history and different variations of the language of mermaids!? (Turns out that mermaids have different dialects depending on the currents that swept them away or in which part of the seven seas they live in...very interesting stuff.)

"Since this assignment is not part of the curriculum, it will be mere extra credit, however!" Akko let out a groan as the professor glared at her and a few of her classmates for cheering. "Just because it's not part of the curriculum does not mean you won't be graded, Miss Kagari...I expect everyone, and I mean everyone…to do it." At this, she gave a look to the all the girls in the room. "What will be part of your grade will be the presentation you will all give to the class."

Akko tried not to groan too loudly at that, and Professor Finnelan appreciated her support by saying, "The assignment will be due next week, before the holidays. Presentations will start in Monday with the first being Miss Diana Cavendish...and Miss Atsuko Kagari...followed by Miss Amanda O'Neill and Miss Hannah England for laughing during class."

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"...mouu...what am I gonna do?"

Classes had concluded for the day, and as was usual, the red team began making their way back towards their room.

"What's the big deal, anyway? It's just some stupid family tree…" Sucy pointed out as Akko let out another groan.

"My family's not super big, though! And she wants all these explanations and dates and arrggghhhh!" Akko let out a frustrated growl. "I haven't done one of these since I was in elementary school!"

"Oh, Akko...it really isn't that difficult." Lotte told her, smiling softly. The team were right outside their room, with Akko dangerously close to slamming her head against the door.

"But what about the presentation!?" Akko cried out. "What am I supposed to say?"

"That you were raised on a farm?" Sucy snickered when she received a glare from the Japanese witch.

"I wasn't raised on a farm!" Akko yelled, pushing upon the door before stomping her way inside the room. "Why does everyone keep saying that!?"

"Because everyone thinks you're an idiot?" Sucy helped again only to end up getting a pillow thrown her way for all her trouble.

"Hmph!"

"Any-anyway…" Lotte began, giving Sucy a look as the other witch picked up the thrown pillow and she closed the door behind them. "Why are you so upset about the assignment anyway? Is it really that bad?"

"It's not the assignment I don't like, Lotte! It's the work! And during the final week too!" Akko groaned as she sank into her bed, leaning on the wall and covering half of her precious Shiny Chariot poster with chocolate-colored tresses. "And then I have to present it! It's just soooo unfair!"

"...the presentations should take you about two or three minutes, though...unless Cavendish drools on and on about her mother and her family and their contributions to society...maybe she should, it would certainly be more interesting than your family...probably." Sucy smirked Akko's way, but was rather disappointed when Akko didn't react. The girl just let out a sigh as she processed Sucy's words.

Sucy had a point. What was her family's history compared to the Cavendish's long, generations old history? Heck, Sucy and Lotte probably had more interesting stories to share about their families than Akko would ever have.

What did her family have?

Both sides of the family could trace their ancestry up to a certain point, right between the Tokugawa shogunate and even then, time had erased most of their clans' history so it was rather difficult to trace what exactly her family, Kurosawa or Kagari, did during that time. Where they merchants? Samurai? Farmers? No one knew. They just knew they existed and had moved on with the world around them.

As for the now, well, Akko's parents were rather normal. Her father worked as an account manager for a company that had dealings both in Japan and overseas. Her mother, too, worked as a detective in the local police station, like her father before her. As for her other relatives, they too had decent jobs and they were normal. They had their own stories too, but none of them could truly match the stories of the other little witches and their magical families.

Her parents weren't witches. Her cousins, uncles, aunts and her surviving grandparents had no magic to speak up.

How was she going to compare to those other girls if her stories were just...normal and uninteresting?

Akko sighed again, and glanced at her poster of Shiny Chariot, who smiled encouragingly and waved at her.

While Sucy and Lotte began to argue about the former's rudeness, Akko's thoughts wandered to the past, to the show she had seen in Japan so long ago when she was but a mere little girl.

She still remembered the excitement, the thrill. She was finally, finally, going to be seeing the famous Shiny Chariot up there in that beautiful stage, as she dazzled the world with her magical tricks and charming words. She remembered pulling her parents towards the auditorium, remembered her mother's sweet smiles and her father's gentle laughter. "Calm down, sweetheart," they told her, "the show's about to begin." And when it did, the young girl still remembered the amazement, the joy, the wonder.

Akko remembered jumping up and down on her chair, smiling and pointing and waving. "There she is, momma! There she is!" And her mother, calm and gentle, had patted her head and pulled her down to her seat, telling her to stay still and watch the magic unfold.

Oh, how happy it made her to see her idol in person! How elated! How exciting! Shiny Chariot was just so amazing! Firing spell after spell, fighting monsters in the sky, flying, creating illusions, creating joy...it was perfect.

And yet, that had been the only magical thing she and her parents had shared. The joy, the wonder.

What could she possibly share with her classmates that….

...wait. Wait. Wait…

...wait!

Akko's eyes began to twinkle, her heart began to race, as her mind was doing backflips and frontflips. She remembered now! How could she possiblyー

Akko stood up quickly, slamming her head on Lotte's bunk, as her roommates turned to stare at her, one with concern and the other trying very hard not to laugh. But Akko didn't care about the bruise forming on her head, as she stared at Lotte with a piercing expression and asked, "LOTTE! Can I borrow your crystal ball!?"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

By Thursday, Sucy and Lotte had finished their own family trees, the two of them deciding to show their work to a struggling Akko, who still had nothing to show for all the information she had gathered since Tuesday.

Lotte's family, Akko learned, was a large one. Most of them had their own businesses scattered all over Finland, selling ingredients and materials to witches and humans alike. Originally, the Yansons' story begun generations ago, with a pair of competing brothers that had tried to one-up each other for years. While the story of these two brothers had changed over the years and was heavily contested during festivities when the alcohol became too much, everyone pretty much agreed that they were the reason the Yansons ran shops all over their homeland. It all began when they opened, each, similar shops that sold mostly the same things. The shops were located rather close to each other. The two were always trying to outdo one another by offering discounts, price drops, demonstrations and many, many other things. It had almost bankrupt the two, but they were too stubborn to quit and one day, when the rivalry had gotten too hot, the two wizards had opt to settle the affair once and for all with a duel. And they failed. Spectacularly so. Their wives tell the story of how the two Yanson brothers continuously missed each other, the spells hitting everything but them. Eventually, after two hours of the same, embarrassing show, the two men had called it quits and, in order to save their finances, decided to combine the two shops into one. That shop still stands in Helsinki, managed by one of Lotte's aunts, while her other relatives, her parents included, run similar shops all around Finland...minus the rivalries, of course.

Sucy's family, on the other hand, was a tad bit smaller. Her family had never really spread far and wide on the Philippines as Lotte's was in Finland with their tiny shops. The Manbavarans were experts in poisons, and rather surprisingly, in their antidotes as well. Sucy's family had prided themselves for their knowledge of all poisons and were always sought after by locals and foreigners alike for their expertise, whether it was a cure for a venomous bite or a simple stomachache. One other thing the Manbavarans were known for, and mostly avoided because of it, was their snake familiars. Sucy's mother alone had over a dozen different snake familiars, who had contributed to many cures and antidotes in the past and who were free to wander in the wild as they pleased. As for history, Sucy couldn't really say. Some of her aunts said they were descendants of old witches that had made deals with demons to get where they are today, while others, said that they evolved from dragons themselves. None of it was true, however. It was just stories to scare those door-to-door salesman that never seemed to stop coming. There was, however, one particular story the Manbavarans were well-known for. It all started when a famous politician had come to visit the Manbavarans for help of getting rid of a rival. The head of the family, Sucy's grandmother, had refused despite the money and threats that were offered by the man. Angered, the man assured the old woman he would drag their family's reputation to the ground before he disappeared. But, the man never returned back to the city. He was found, days later, mad and disoriented, covered in snakes. The fool, ignoring the warnings of the local villagers and even of Sucy's grandmother herself, had ran afoul of the local snakes that wondered about the area near the Manbavaran's home. The area had many poisonous spiders and snakes and other creatures whose bites could cause, if not death, paralysis, insomnia, madness, etc., etc.

"...are you sure you want to put that in?" Lotte questioned after Sucy was done with her story. The other witch shrugged.

"...eh, maybe not. I'll just say he got eaten."

"...I don't see how that's any less morbid." Lotte shook her head, trying to get the image of a mad man out of her head, before turning to Akko, who sat on her bed, with pieces of paper scattered all over the covers and an open notebook to the side. "So...any idea how you're going to start your family tree?"

"The clock's still ticking," Sucy pointed out. "I thought you called your parents yesterday and the day before that...and you still got nothing?"

"I'm working on it! I want to make it perfect and all that! I'm going to be presenting on Monday, after all!" Akko told her, smiling. "I...uh...just need to translate all of these…" She gestured towards the pieces of paper scattered all over her bed. Sucy just shrugged.

"That's kinda your fault for writing everything in Japanese…"

"True…" Lotte agreed, eyeing the papers and the odd characters written on them. "Why would you do that?"

"It's just easier this way…" Was Akko's simple answer as she began to gather her papers and put them inside the notebook. She jumped out of bed, barely avoiding Lotte's bunk. "I'll be in the library!" the girl cried out as her two companions blinked. The library? But, Akko never went to the library, at least, not willingly.

"Huh?"

"Umm...to the library?"

"Yep! I'll see you guys at lunch!" And with that, Akko was gone.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

The librarian let out a sighed as she settled into her morning routine, trying hard not to glance at the papers that were piling up at her desk, and ignoring the tall, imposing shelves and thousands of volumes they contained. She stared around the room, empty, well, except for a particular desk that was barely hidden by the Magical Crafts section. The desk was surrounded by piles of books, and between them, a student sat upon a chair, leaning over the desk as she wrote in her notebook. The girl would glance once or twice at another piece of paper lying next to the notebook, before writing, sometimes even opening one of the tomes that lay around the desk.

The old librarian blinked.

Had Atsuko Kagari stayed here all night?

She remembered the girl coming before lunch on Thursday, and then, she was back on Friday in the late afternoon, and now, it was already Saturday! Good heavens!

The librarian stood there for a few second before smiling and shaking her head.

Miss Kagari was obviously hard at work and it will do her no good if the librarian disturbed her. She only hoped the girl would get the rest her body needed once she was done.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

When lunch arrived on Saturday, a few girls were already talking about one Atsuko Kagari, who had been seen almost all day working hard on one thing or the other.

From what it was said, Akko had stayed at the library all Friday evening all the way to the early hours of Saturday. A couple of hours later, before Sucy and Lotte left to get lunch, a haggard-looking Akko had arrived and had mentioned that she'll grab a snack later, collapsing on top of her mattress, snoring before hitting the pillow.

Diana Cavendish didn't know whether to be impressed or to just roll her eyes.

The Cavendish heir could admit she was impressed by the girl's work regimen, now if only she applied that to all of her studies she probably wouldn't be so far behind. But, considering what she was working on, even with all that hard work, Diana figured she was just going to be doing all that work at the last minute.

Hannah and Barbara, however, certainly did not know how to feel about this development.

"You should have seen her! Her! Actually working!" Hannah said, as the three girls were making their way back to their room. Barbara nodded.

"She was, like, totally out of it, too...it was almost scary. She was actually doing work!" Barbara shuddered. "I hope it's not, like a bad omen or something…" Hannah scoffed at that, while Diana sent her classmate an amused smile.

As they went on walking and her classmates went on talking about Akko, Diana couldn't help but be curious on what had motivated such a change over the normally lazy girl.

But Diana had learned that Akko wasn't really lazy, no. Diana had learned that if determined enough, Akko could accomplish almost anything. Like that parade those months back. Sure, the parade hadn't been too bad, if Diana was honest. Perhaps it would have been even better if one didn't include the titan that had been unsealed by that foolish mayor of Blytonbury, but that wasn't really the point. Akko had accomplished her goal. Eventually.

Even so, Akko wasn't the most competent witch. Her magic improved, true, but her attitude had not. She still complained about work, was rather cocky about her lack of magical ability and was still very much a troublemaker. But, Diana knew, that deep inside, Akko wasn't really a bad person. She was endearing, if anything, if the Cavendish heir was honest with herself. Sometimes. Not always.

She only hoped that whatever had caught Akko's attention, she would certainly give it her all, whatever it was.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

When Sucy and Lotte returned to their room later, they found an odd scene waiting for them, courtesy of Akko.

Their teammate had taken her bedsheets and covered the lower bunk like a fortress. They could see Akko's shadow on the sheets, moving about, using her wand to create a light and then something else, before it flickered and died. Seconds later, Akko let out a frustrated whine at her supposed failure.

"Akko?" Lotte called the girl, spooking her. They heard a yelp, before something made contact with Lotte's bunk and then, Akko let out a painful whimper. "Akko!"

"Ouch…" Sucy muttered as Lotte moved to push the sheets aside, only to be beaten by Akko seconds later, who was sticking out her head from the fortress of blankets, massaging her aching head.

"Hey! Hi!" Akko said with a smile, flinching slightly as she ignored the pain on her head.

"Are you alright?" Lotte asked her, only for the Japanese witch to nod and smile.

"Yeah! Yeah...I'm fine!"

"I...I see…"

The trio was silent for a while, before Sucy asked, "Don't you think it's a little too early for a pajama party?" as she walked towards her bed, as Lotte gave Akko a plate of food that she carried all the way from the cafeteria. She figured the girl had forgotten to eat again.

"Here," Lotte said, offering Akko the dish. "We remembered you hadn't eaten yet, so…"

"Aww! Thanks, Lotte!" Akko grinned as she quickly took the plate from her friend's hands and hid back inside her little fortress. Lotte looked back at Sucy, who shrugged.

"...umm...Akko?"

"Hmm! This is sooo goーhuh?"

"What...what exactly are you doing there?"

"Oh! My family tree!"

"...so...the blanket fort is what for, exactly?" Sucy questioned, eyeing the bedsheets with slight interest.

Three days, and still, Akko's teammates didn't know what Akko was planning for her presentation. Everyone was already talking about it. And this latest display only served to peek Sucy's own curiosity despite her own feelings on the subject.

"Oh! I'm practicing for the presentation!" Akko explained, sounding happy as she munched unto some food from inside her safe haven." I decided- ** _munch_** -to do something I learned in a book I found in the library!"

"Oh?" Lotte began, smiling. "And what is it?"

"It's a secret!" Akko replied, and Sucy could just imagine her devious grin. "Besides, you guys won't be waiting long! I'll be presenting on Monday...so...yeah...I just need to practice a little more...and finish translating and...uh, everything else! Yeah!"

Sucy frowned.

Oh, come on! That wasn't fair.

She had wasted valuable time talking about her family to help Akko when she could have done something else and now after all that suspense and help it was still a secret?

"...so, we don't even get a preview?" Sucy asked.

"Well...uh...maybe...maybe we can help you!" Lotte said, her curiosity getting the best of her. "Check the spelling and whatnot...if...if you want to." At least Lotte had restrain. Sucy admired that.

"Naw! It's okay! Thanks!" Akko replied. "I just want to surprise you guys! And I want it to be a big hit, too!"

"...tough luck," Sucy muttered, getting a glare from Lotte, before the Finnish witch turned back to the blanket fort and sighed.

"O-oh, well...but...but if you need anything…"

"Don't worry! I got this! But thanks anyway!"

When night arrived, Akko finally removed her little fortress of sheets, a mess of papers covering most of the bed with an opened book near the corner.

As she was putting her papers away, Sucy caught sight of a few set of English words that Akko had circled and then crossed out. Sucy couldn't make heads or tails out of the Japanese, but she could make out a few of the words Akko wrote in English. One of those words was 'princess', but this one was crossed out, a small question mark following after it and beside it an arrow pointing towards a block of Japanese text that had also been crossed out with a large x multiple times with multiple questions marks beside it.

Once Akko had put her notes and papers away, she let out a yawn and placed the large book and her notebook next to the empty plate on her desk and fell right to sleep, wishing Sucy and Lotte a good night.

After waiting for twenty minutes, and making absolutely sure Akko was still asleep, Sucy got up from her bed and moved towards Akko's desk, opening the girl's notebook all the while receiving a look of disapproval from Lotte.

"Sucy! What are you doing?"

"Some light reading," the other witch responded, as Lotte let out a sigh. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"I am!" Lotte admitted before shaking her head. "But I can wait until Monday." Sucy frowned at Akko's work and then, stared back at her teammate.

"...well...you're in luck…" Sucy began showing Lotte a piece of paper containing the chicken scratch of one Atsuko Kagari. Everything was written in Japanese.

Apparently when Akko had meant she needed to "finish everything else", she had meant it.

* * *

On Sunday morning, Akko was gone.

She had muttered to a sleepy Lotte that she was heading to the library to finish her work and they should probably not expect her for breakfast...or lunch...and dinner.

When the two members of the red team arrived at the cafeteria for breakfast, they found Amanda and the rest of her team already waiting for them, waving at them from their seats to come and join them at their table. After grabbing their plates of food, Sucy and Lotte made their way towards them.

"So, where's Akko? Is she hiding in the library again?" Amanda asked them, as they sat down. Lotte just gave her a smile and nodded.

"Yeah...she left early this morning...said she was going to finish her work."

"Whoa...that's really something...that family tree of hers has got her all pumped out!" Sucy shrugged.

"Probably…"

"So? What she tell you about her family? What are they like?" Amanda asked them, as she took a bite out of her scrambled eggs. Sitting next to her, her teammate, Jasminka, had just finished her food before moving towards a box of donuts. She offered a donut to both Sucy and Lotte, who declined with a smile. Constanze, for her part, ate her food slowly, shaking her head at the donuts as she stared silently at the two members of the red team.

"Who knows…" Sucy told the American witch. "She's being rather secretive about it."

"Huh."

"We offered to help but...well...you know how she can be…" Lotte explained, taking a bite out of her toast. "She's excited though...so that's a good thing."

"That's great to hear," Jasminka responded with a big smile as she finished her second donut. The small girl next to her gave a thumbs up, showing her agreement of her classmate's statement.

"Still...what's so secretive about a normal, non-magical family?" Amanda asked, pushing her plate aside. "Hell, I have a few normals in my family and they don't really lead exciting lives...so what gives?"

"Beats me." Sucy told her, taking a sip from her mushroom juice carton. "I'm getting a little too curious myself."

"Oh yeah?" the redhead asked, looking amused. Usually if Sucy was interested, it meant trouble. Or fun.

"Yep."

"So, what you planning to do about it?"

"I'm going to make a memory potion and get over this secret once and for all."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

And then, Sucy screwed up.

Well, Sucy wouldn't really admit she screwed up a perfectly innocent memory potion. She had Akko for that. Akko was a magnet of bad decisions and complications and those usually ended with explosions right in the face.

However, something had gone wrong.

Memory potions were not too complicated to make, and Sucy was counting on that. But for some reason, the potion Sucy had made had decided, for some reason, to spout fire. Fire, that had been dangerously close to burning down the school. Fire that, Diana Cavendish, little witch extraordinaire, had tried to douse with some water spell but that had only created more fire and smoke before it exploded on their faces. Or it would have, had Diana and Amanda not created a barrier spell all over the place. And that, in itself, had created another chain reaction and the shield broke.

As the smoke cleared and the girls were done coughing their hearts out, they realized, with a bit of confusion and dismay, that they were no longer in the empty classroom but inside a small room.

The room they were in appeared to be a living room; two sofas, a carpet, a television set and some furniture here and there decorated the room, while the walls were decorated with photographs and a few papers sticking to the walls. They could also make out a kitchen behind them. All neat and small, with a counter before it, and a small table right nearby with two chairs and a flower pot in the middle.

But, before anyone could question what had happened, a door opened and in came Akko, looking all glum and silent, as she stepped inside the room. She let out a sigh, before blinking and turning towards the group of girls nearby that were staring back at her.

Akko's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed and she asked, "お前は一体誰だ?"

Yep. Sucy would definitely blame Akko for this one. Whatever this was.


	2. Akko

**Author's Note:** Second chapter is up! The first chapter also received an overhaul, if you want to read it again. Nothing too big, just a few details added here and there.

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

Hope you enjoy this chapter! And see you next week with another update!

* * *

 **-2-**

 **Akko**

A small part of Diana wondered what in the world possessed her to listen in on that particular conversation between the red and green teams.

Diana would never admit she was a victim of her own curiosity, no. She was beyond simple curiosity. She was just...looking out for them. Yes. That sounded about right. That's why she was keeping an eye on the girls as they left the cafeteria and followed after them a fair distance away. To keep an eye on them.

...okay, so Diana was curious. Just a little bit.

Ever since Akko had been spotted working nonstop in the library on her so-called "secret project", no one had stopped talking about it. Sure, everyone knew what the secret was but even so, they were rather curious and Akko certainly wasn't talking. And so, the rumor mill grew and grew with everyone wondering if Akko's family was just "normal".

Perhaps it was safe to say that most girls, Diana included, had their own definition of "normal". The girls were used to magic being part of their daily lives while normal people were not. Their definition of "normal" was very different from the normal that Akko had been used to all her life before coming to Luna Nova. Witches were used to flying brooms, talking cats, monsters and sealed evils of the past and then, there were Akko's parents. People without no magical ancestry. Where they the same as any others? They might be...unless that rumor of them actually working on a farm was true. It was honest work if anything.

Everyone would soon find out come Monday morning.

But Akko's friends were too impatient for that.

Diana had to give props to Manbavaran for thinking about the rather infamous Delor'e An dus; this one was an interesting mixture and a rather recent addition to their magical textbooks with over thirty years of use. The dust, if brewed correctly, would aid the subject in recounting events from days or years prior, showing the memories inside a cloud-like sphere. There were some stories about the potion that had escaped Diana's notice, but it was considered a rather tame potion whose only drawback was expelling a black cloud of smoke if mixed incorrectly.

Sucy, however, was an expert potion brewer. Nothing could really go wrong. Hopefully.

From what Diana was able to decipher from the conversation between Akko's teammates and Amanda and the others, the plan was to use the Delor'e An Dust to show them the memories of Akko talking to her mother with Lotte's crystal ball from a few days ago. Since the two of them had been talking in their native tongue, they had translation spell in the ready just in case they needed it. It was rather simple and hopefully, no one would catch them in the act.

Well, except Diana but she wasn't talking. Certainly not.

So, everything was set and then, the cauldron caught on fire.

By the time Diana had barged inside the classroom, the fire had almost reached the ceiling. While everyone else panicked or cried out in confusion, Diana had tried to douse the flames with a simple water spell, but the spell was rather ineffective, especially when the fire just got more intense and the cauldron exploded. Diana and Amanda acted fast, casting a barrier spell over their group of six. Before Amanda could question the Cavendish heir on what she was doing here, their spell broke and smoke began to fill the room. And while all this was happening, the cauldron began to change colors, going from black to a bloody, smoking red, growing and growing until…

...but they saw nothing more as the smoke overwhelmed them and then, it didn't.

They noticed the new room and the furniture, and then, Akko was staring back at them, eyebrow raised, and asking calmly, without a beat, " _あなたは誰_ _?"_

In one single moment, curiosity had truly killed the cat and Diana hated the fact that it had killed hers.

* * *

" _あなたは誰_ _?"_

The little witches exchanged looks with each other, not knowing how to respond to what seemed to be, a question. First, the group stared at Diana, then at Amanda and finally at Sucy, who shrugged and whispered, "Somebody better tell her that we don't speak Japanese."

Diana nodded, and clearing her throat, turned to face Akko, who was still staring at them, a little to calm for her liking. It was an odd sight considering how animed Atsuko Kagari tended to be. It put the blonde witch on edge. Something was wrong here and she didn't know what.

"Ah...yes...what...what did you say?" Akko blinked at that. She opened her mouth and asked,

" _あなたは誰_ _?"_ Diana just frowned as an answer and before she could chastise her, Akko just smiled, tapped her chin thoughtfully before saying, " _ああ_ _..._ _私はあなたが私を理解していないと思います_ _..."_ The girl cleared her throat, and nodded. "I said, who are you?" It was Amanda who responded, laughing.

"Are ya serious? Come on! Are you okay, Akko? Did ya hit your head again?" Diana glared at Amanda as Akko tilted her head and placed a hand on it, trying to find a bump that wasn't really there.

"No. Sorry. I don't think so...did you?" Akko's expression changed; it went from calm to dangerous and calculating. Another unusual sight. "I hope you ladies can explain yourselves before I kick you out and call the police. They don't take kindly to strangers barging into other people's homes." For a moment no one spoke, and Akko took it as an invitation to start walking towards the nearby phone until Diana reacted.

"Please...wait!" she said, extending a hand towards the other girl, who stopped short and stared at Diana, her expression unchanged. "We...we...umm...we mean no harm! We...messed a teleportation spell…!" Akko's eyes widen slightly, her eyes softening with confusion.

"...a what did you say?"

"A teleportation spell," Sucy repeated, getting a nod of gratitude from a flustered Diana nearby. "We screwed it up...was suppose to take us to...New York or something...sent us here instead. Sorry." Akko just stood there, staring, the confusion never really fading from her green, sharp eyes. Then, she gave them a small smile, a raised eyebrow and she let out a little laugh.

"Heh! You're witches, then?"

"Ah...y-yes!" Lotte answered nervously, as Jasminka and Constanze glanced at each other, while Sucy, Diana and Amanda, stood behind the ginger witch.

"I see...so, how could your friend over there," Akko pointed at Amanda, who tried to look at everything else but her, "knew who I was? I don't remember ever meeting any of you nor did I give you my name...or rather, nickname for that matter." The girl crossed her arms over her chest, head tilted to the side, puzzled. "...you don't read minds...do you? Being witches and all that…" Lotte shook her head rapidly.

"N-no! No! Nothing like that!"

"...that's a different spell.." Sucy muttered behind her friend.

"Yeah, like the one you screwed up…" Amanda told her silently, before putting a hand behind her head and saying, "You kinda look like a friend of mine! She's got a similar name to yours and...well…"

Akko raised an eyebrow, sending her an amused smile, as if she didn't believe her. "...a friend that looks like me...with a similar nickname?"

"...yeah?"

Akko stared at them for a bit, and then, giggled. "Hahaha! You girls are too funny!" The girl shook her head and headed towards the small kitchen. "...my manners seem to be asleep these days...so, what will it be? I only have some leftover green tea and...well, water." The girls stared at Akko for a bit, before they huddled closer together, trying to make sure they weren't heard as Akko distracted herself with getting drinks. Once they knew Akko wasn't listening in, they all turned to stare at Sucy.

"...what?"

"Do you know what you have done...?" Diana asked her with a frown.

"What? If you're talking about that potion, you're the one that added water to the mix…" the other witch pointed out, getting a glare in return.

"...it was spewing fire."

"...so?"

"It was about to burn down the school!"

"What's your point?"

"Sucy…" Lotte warned, pinching her friend lightly on her shoulder. "This isn't the time for that! What happened?" Her teammate shrugged.

"Who knows. Whatever did happen put us here…and that's about it."

Diana stopped glaring at Sucy to look around the room. "We are not in an illusion of some sort...if we were...Ak-that girl wouldn't have noticed us...much less interacted the way she did." Sucy sighed.

"The Delor'e An dust doesn't work like that."

"It also doesn't explode…" Amanda pointed out. Behind them, Akko was distracting herself by filling a glass pitcher with water. Diana glanced at her for a bit, before turning to the group and nodding as if she had realized something.

"...that explosion might have been caused by...my efforts to put down that fire. It might have created a chain reaction….what...what memories did you want to see?"

"Ah...Akko…" Lotte began, glancing at the other girl, who had finished filling the glass pitcher and was moving towards the fridge. "She...uh...she called her mother...for help with her project."

"That memory potion would have been able to recreate that conversation," Sucy said, taking over from Lotte.

"And yet...we are not in a memory...nor in an illusion…" Diana whispered, eyes closed, hand on her chin, as she began thinking. Where they in an illusion that was meant to be interacted with? Had they been knocked out and all of this was happening in their minds? Or did they…? Diana snapped her eyes opened. She glanced at Akko, and then, turned towards the group. "...could it...be?"

"What? What is it?" Amanda asked her but Diana was shaking her head.

"...that...that couldn't be...could it…?"

"What is it, Cavendish?" Amanda tried again, and this time, Diana ignored her and began muttering under her breath, still loud enough for the group to hear her.

"...what if...what if the chain reaction created by the potion took us to another location...what if...it took us...quite literally...to another time..."

"...time traveling isn't as easy as it looks, you know…" Sucy answered, shaking her head and snapping Diana out of her thoughts.

"Time...time what!?"

"Amanda!" Lotte shushed as Constanze and Jasminka glanced back at the other girl, who still ignored them as she took out a teapot from the fridge and put it on the nearby counter.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Amanda whispered, still a little too loud for Lotte, who glared at her. "We travelled back in time? What? How the hell did that happen?"

"I'm not so sure…" Diana answered. "...the concentration of magic released by the potion must have done...something else…the Delor'e An dust is easy to make...but they are to be done in a controlled environment…"

"Maybe because they figured they exploded," Amanda answered dryly, shaking her head. "Did it say anything like that in that recipe of yours, Sucy?" Sucy just shook her head.

"No. And before you ask a stupid question, no. I don't mess up my potions...that's what the dunce is for. But...the potion could have been messed up by expired ingredients or my mistake of using a cauldron that wasn't entirely clean...residue from another potion might have reacted with the mixture and well...it exploded."

"But...how does that explain this…?" Lotte asked. "If we really travelled through time…"

"Oh...but if we really did, how are we going to get back home?" Jasminka whipsered, glancing at Amanda who shrugged and Diana, who smiled at her calmly.

"Magic has a certain...signature. With any luck a teacher will have noticed the signature…"

"...or the burning pot." Amanda mumbled.

"Or the remains of a fire." Diana agreed with a nod. "Time travelling spells leave certain magical residue that is hard to ignore...the teachers will notice it. That might be a good thing...but spell trouble for us at the end."

"But...why would an explosion kick us back to the past?" Amanda asked. "That wasn't even supposed to happen.."

"The Delor'e An dust is still a new thing...it can create the past with an incredible amount of accuracy, as you should know," Diana explained. "The potion's purpose is to show the past."

"I knew all that! But how did it...oh…. _ooh_ …" Lotte shook her head.

"But...but the potion was just suppose to show memories of...Akko talking to her mother...why would it…?"

"I am assuming…" Diana began, massaging her forehead. "...that the spell...after it had been altered, either by my doing or someone else's leftover concoction or by a mistake on Sucy's part...changed. It's original purpose changed from, showing to taking _us_ to those memories, so to speak."

"But why would it even do that?" Amanda asked. "It doesn't even make sense!"

"Maybe it was a lock of hair that I took from her," Sucy said, as if suddenly remembering an important detail. "That might have done something. Potion can't work without it. As Cavendish said, our mess up took us for a ride…" The girls were silent for a while, glancing once or twice at the girl behind them looking for cups in that unreachable kitchen cupboard.

"...ah...crud...this can't be good…" Amanda muttered as Diana shook her head.

"I suppose it is a good thing that girl doesn't talk about her family so much...it works in our favor, so long as we don't mention...well, _her_."

"But...what about Amanda's little slip up? Wouldn't she take note of that?" Lotte asked her anxiously.

"She seemed to buy the whole 'friend that looks like you' thing rather fast...so I guess we're good…" Amanda said, only for Jasminka to shake her head.

"I don't think she really bought it...she seemed...distracted…"

"With any luck, she's exactly like the doofus back home." Sucy told her, glancing at the girl who had finally dragged a few cups from up the cupboard and was putting them on the counter to begin filling them up. The girl nodded once, and then, turned to her uninvited guests.

"Would you girls like water or tea? Although, a word of warning, the tea might be a little cold."

"Water is fine, thank you." Lotte answered. The others just nodded, not really knowing what else to say.

Akko nodded back with a smile, and began to fill the cups with water. Everyone was silent, the only sound being the water filling the cups until finally, all were filled and ready to be served. Akko nodded once more and turned towards her visitors. "...so...you girls travelled through time?"

Huh...huh!?

"...my ears aren't half bad, are they?" the other Akko said with a bright smile. "Didn't quite catch most of it, though...if it makes you feel better."

Uh-oh.

"...HUH!?"

"The name's Kurosawa Atsuki, by the way," Akko, or rather, Atsuki said, going on as if nothing had happened. "I don't mind strangers calling me Akko...but that's usually what my father and my friends call me, so it was really surprising to hear a group of strangers calling me that." Atsuki grinned and tapped the counter softly. "Your drinks are ready, by the way...and don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." Everyone just stared at her, before Amanda broke the silence and said,

"...that went great...didn't it?"

Yeah. So much for that.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It didn't take the girls long to figure out that the person they had met just a few minutes prior was none other than Atsuko Kagari's mother.

Those two looked exactly the same, almost on point, give or take a few exceptions. Unlike her future daughter, Atsuki had green, gentle eyes, compared to Akko's determined, fiery red. Atsuki's hair was a tad bit longer but it was still tied in that familiar hairdo the witches were so familiar with by now.

And yet, despite looking a lot like Akko, Atsuki acted nothing like her. She was calm and poised, gentle and serene, with a sad expression on her face that betrayed her mood despite the charming smile she wore. It was like looking at a mirror and seeing another person staring back.

"...you don't want the water?" Atsuki suddenly asked, making the girls jump. "Or are you just surprised that you were talking a little too loud?"

"You could say that," Sucy commented, as the others shook out of their reverie and approached the counter slowly. "I'm surprised you're taking this so well...most people in your position would be freaking out by now."

"Would they?" Atsuki shrugged."You guys are just literally here. What else is there to it?"

That was a rather weird way to put it.

Most people, if given the chance, would usually go about asking how the future was like and if they had made a change in the world. It was a matter of knowing the winning numbers in the races, or finding out who had won that football game on Saturday and gamble all the money away and return home with millions.

But Atsuki was calm and hardly seemed to care. Akko would have been jumping up and down, asking questions and wondering if she was a famous witch yet.

Perhaps Atsuki's calm was a good thing.

"We do apologize for any...distress we might have put you through…" Diana began, only for Atsuki to shake her head and offer her a glass of water.

"It's fine, it's fine...not like I don't get a lot of visitors these days. At least, I can take comfort in the fact that you're not stealing anything." Diana blinked. What an odd remark.

"Eh? Umm...did...did someone break into your home?" she asked her, as she took the offered glass delicately.

"Someone definitely did." Atsuki nodded. "They made a mess of the place too...hmph. Nothing irreplaceable, thankfully." The girl let out a sad sigh, before she offered them a small smile. "Want any sweets? I'm pretty sure I have some daifuku here...you'll probably like them...you want coffee or ume filling? I like ume the best...oh...ume is apricot. Or maybe you'll like some Chichi dango? I'm sure Megumi left some here when she came last night…I'm rambling, am I?" Atsuki finally took notice of the looks of bewilderment and confusion on each of the girls' faces and let out a small laugh. "I also have cookies...if you prefer." That got Jasminka to smile.

"Please." Atsuki clapped and sent a familiar smile the group's way.

"Okay! I just need to remember where I put them and we'll be set!...hopefully, Go didn't eat them all…"

Before Atsuki could go and look for the snacks, however, a small knock sounded before the front door was opened. Atsuki turned to the newcomer with a smile while the little witches just stared at the newcomer.

The young man looked about their age, a little taller than Diana, who was the tallest of the bunch. He had short brown hair, and barely concealed vibrant red eyes. He was busy eyeing a few letters in his hands, muttering in Japanese something or the other. He walked past the girls, barely noticing them.

" _Akko-chan,"_ he began with a sigh. " _Go is playing with the mailboxes again. If this keeps up we might as well pay all of your bi_ _ー_ _huh?"_ The boy finally took notice of the other girls. He blinked in surprise, before he turned to Atsuki. " _...uh...you have visitors?"_

" _Yes. Just a bunch of girls that decided to drop by."_ Atsuki answered, winking at the group who couldn't understand heads or tails of the conversation going on before them. " _They seem nice enough...they haven't tried killing me yet, so that's nice."_

" _...what…?"_

" _Apparently, they are witches, if you must know. So, there's that too."_

" _...huh!? Wait, what!?"_

"Anyway," Atsuki turned to the girls, ignoring the shocked young man. "Ladies, this here is Kagari Satoshi...he's my neighbor." Atsuki told them in English. The little witches blinked. They stared at Satoshi, before staring at the smiling Atsuki.

...was...was this actually happening…?

Satoshi, now recovering from his shook, just sighed, shook his head and said, "...hello." His accent was a little more noticeable, unlike Atsuki's, whose English was pretty good. Satoshi squinted at them. "...you...you're tourists?"

"Witches, actually, I already told you that." Atsuki answered. She gave her friend a concerned look. "Satoshi...when are you getting those glasses of yours fixed? You're as blind as Zatoichi without them."

"Eh, it's not that bad…" the boy told her with a smile. "I just have some...trouble seeing from a distance, that's all."

"That's good." Amanda muttered without thinking, making Atsuki smile and Satoshi stare at her with an eyebrow raised. "I...mean, good as in bad! Very bad!"

"What's a zatoichi?" Jasminka asked in effort to divert the uncomfortable conversation that Amanda had begun.

"He's from a few movies...rather popular, too," Atsuki explained, smiling. "I'm afraid Satoshi can only count on the blindness part down, though...everything else, well…"

"Hey, now! At least try to be less...honest about it!" Satoshi grumbled, seemingly hurt. "Anyway...here's your mail...Go went around switching the names on the mailboxes again…" He gave Atsuki the bundle of letters and in Japanese whispered, " _Are they supposed to be here?"_

" _Nope...they messed up a spell and teleported themselves inside the house. Sorry about Go...poor little guy. He's just bored. I haven't had time to play with him in a while since I started planning the event...and well, it's just more work and work with all those extra problem…"_

" _Atsuki…"_

" _Hmm?"_

" _That's...that's not what I meant…"_

" _Oh? Then, what did you mean?"_

" _Who are they, really?"_

" _Witches."_

" _And you believe them?"_

" _And you don't?"_

" _Look...I'm just saying…"_

"We are right here, you know," Sucy interrupted, sending a look at the two of them, as the others just stared back. Satoshi gave them a frown while Atsuki smiled, and put the envelopes aside to continue her search for the cookies.

"Please, don't mind him. He's just a little concerned...after all, it's not everyday that strangers teleport inside my house...now...where did I put that box…? Aha! Here it is!"

" _Darling!"_

Everyone, minus Atsuki and Satoshi, jumped as the door opened with a loud _thump!_ , slamming hard against the wall. The boy let out a sigh as Atsuki took out a box and placed it in the counter, momentarily ignoring the newcomer.

A girl with short brown, wavy hair, and excited expression marched inside, smiling brightly. " _Akko-chan! Darling! There you are! I was looking for...you…"_ The stranger finally took notice of the group, and at Satoshi waving behind them as Atsuki began to offer them some sweets. " _...huh. Umm...darling…?"_ Atsuki turned towards the girl and smiled.

"Hello!"

" _...yes, hello. Atsuki, sweetheart...and these people are…?"_

"Oh. They are just a group of witches that teleported inside my house."

" _...what..?"_


	3. Bad Luck Princess

**Author's Note:** My apologies for the delay!

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

Hope you enjoy this chapter! And see you next week with another update! Or maybe earlier this week! Sorry about that!

* * *

 **-3-**

 **Bad Luck Princess**

The new girl stood there, staring wide-eyed at the girls, processing the words she had just been told all the while Atsuki took out a plate from the cupboard. She shook the box a few times over the plate, cookies falling gently on it, before putting the box aside and grabbing the plate and offering the plate of sweets to the little witches and Satoshi, but only Jasminka seemed interested. Atsuki turned towards the newcomer, smiling brightly, as she offered her the plate, "You want some, Megumi?"

The girl, Megumi, quickly shook her head, her expression of surprise changing to a smile, before frowning at the group and walking quickly towards the counter. " _Darling…"_ she began, her eyes glancing once or twice at the group of girls. " _Who did you say these ladies were again?"_

"Witches!" Atsuki answered without missing a beat, the smile still present on her face. "Ladies," she went on, gesturing her head towards the unimpressed expression on Megumi's face. "This pretty girl that's trying to not glare at you is Sasaki Megumi...but just Megumi is fine."

"...nice to meet you…" Lotte remarked, taking note of the glare Megumi sent their way. Sucy just shrugged next to her.

"...I guess," she muttered, while Diana just nodded politely next to her and Amanda began scratching the back of her head, unsure of what to say. Constanze nodded, her expression never changing as she helped Jasminka finish off the tray of sweets. Jasminka sent Megumi a wave and even offered her a cookie but Megumi declined with a shake of her head.

" _A rather charming group, aren't they?"_ Megumi remarked, an eyebrow raised, staring at Atsuki who gave her an amused look as Satoshi sighed next to her. " _...You don't seriously believe what you just told me do you, darling? About them being witches?"_ Atsuki shrugged.

"Why is that so hard to believe? Don't miko do magic?"

" _Probably,"_ Megumi replied, glancing at Satoshi and scowling. " _Is he being useless like always?"_

Satoshi glared at Megumi. "Sasaki-san…" Megumi ignored him and shook her head.

" _Can't even count on a man to keep strangers off Akko-chan's property! Of course he's being useless!"_

"Megumi…you're terrible." Atsuki shook her head as Megumi turned to look at the group of witches and glared.

" _And who are you people, anyway?"_ she asked, frowning at the girls as if daring them to do something to prove her suspicions.

Diana and the others couldn't help but flinch at the stare, and despite not understanding a word, were able to decipher what she really meant. Luckily for them, Atsuki diverted attention by tapping the counter to get her disgruntled friend's attention.

"I believe I already mention the magic..hmm…" Atsuki began, grinning as Megumi began glaring at her. "What could I possibly be missing? Oh! Yes!" Atsuki made a fist and slammed it gently into her open palm, an idea hitting her. "They are...human beings!" Megumi's scowl disappeared to be replaced by a rather unamused look. "Oh, of course. How could I forget? They also practice magic. So, yes, witches." Atsuki sent her friend the most innocent look as Amanda tried very hard not to laugh. Sucy smirked, unconcerned that Megumi turned to stare at them with a glare. Diana and the others just blinked in confusion, unsure of how to react and Satoshi crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, a look of affection present on his face at Atsuki's silliness. "...in all seriousness, Megumi," Atsuki began, shaking her head when Megumi turned to stare at her. "These girls have done nothing and you're already giving them the first degree."

"I'm sure she doesn't mean it, Akko-chan," Satoshi told her before Megumi could retort. "They did…" he glanced at the girls, "they did break into your home days ago, remember...and suddenly, there's a group of strangers here...calling themselves witches...of course, Megumi is going to be worried...and rude."

" _Hey, now!"_ Megumi said, glaring at Satoshi who gave her a look. The girl relented and sighed. " _He's right, Akko-chan...we are just worried…"_ Atsuki let out a sigh.

"It's fine…"

While the three of them talked, Diana and the others stood huddled together, Sucy breaking the silence by muttering, "...so, they really did break in…" Amanda nodded.

"That girl was about to bite our heads off! No wonder…"

Diana's stare turned serious. "There's...something going on here…"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Of course, there is...didn't you notice?" The Cavendish heir just shook her head.

"I believe everyone noticed…" And it wouldn't do them any good if they stayed here any longer than they needed to. If this home invasion thing was serious, Diana figured that being here would do more harm than good. They needed to find a way to alert the teachers of their whereabouts as soon as possible.

Diana walked forward, making the other three turn to stare at her; Atsuki gave her a sad smile while Satoshi and Megumi gave her a confused stare and an angry one, respectively.

"Please accept our apologies. We can assure you we mean no harm," she told them, but Megumi just scoffed as if she had heard that excuse before. Atsuki shook her head.

"Megumi...don't be mean."

" _Mean?! Me!?"_ Megumi asked, shaking her head at her friend and tapping the counter. " _Sweetheart, I worry about you! Ever since...that...happened, you haven't been yourself!"_

"...I'm fine…" Atsuki told her, turning to stare at the counter, hands close together. Everyone turned to stare at her, unsure of what to do or how to respond, but Atsuki was quicker. She turned to face the little witches, and smiling sadly, told them, "Megumi here, doesn't believe you." Diana, rather reluctantly, nodded.

"Yes...she...uh, made her distaste rather obvious."

Atsuki grinned. "True. She's a sweet girl, normally but now she's just a mean little troll." Satoshi silently snorted next to her, trying very hard to pretend he was coughing as Megumi gasped in indignation.

" _Atsuki!"_

"Anyway," Atsuki went on, ignoring her friend. "I figured Megumi might treat you a little better if you proved to her you aren't lying."

Megumi shook her head, placed her hands on her hips. " _No, I wouldn't."_

Satoshi nodded. "No, she wouldn't." Megumi glared at the young man before turning to glare at Diana and the other witches.

"So, what do you say?" Atsuki asked, ignoring the earlier comments as she stared at Diana and the others. Diana gave her a small nod.

"I...I suppose a small demonstration wouldn't hurt…" Diana told her. "However, I fear I will only be able to conjure a simple spell. My wand is almost out of magic and without...without a sorcerer's stone nearby, well…" Atsuki gave her a sympathetic look before she gave her a thumbs up.

"Don't worry about it! Anything simple would do! You won't need much to convince Megumi, I assure you!"

"Unless she decides that the house is haunted," Sucy muttered to the side, with Jasminka and Constanze shushing her.

Diana took a deep breath, and grabbed her wand from her sasch, extending it to it's full height for Atsuki and the others to see. Before she could whisper a spell, Lotte gently placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Are...are you sure that's a good idea, Diana?" Diana gave her a nod.

"The more magic used, the easier it will be for the professors to find us...here. They might recognize my signature and locate us faster that way..." the Cavendish witch whispered back. "Hopefully, what I am about to do won't really change a thing."

"That's what you say," Sucy said, frowning. "Unless we have ourselves another situation like that thing in the dungeons…" Sucy got a glare for that last one before Diana turned towards the group. She moved her eyes around the place, trying to find a recipient for the spell and spotted it.

The little witch closed her eyes and began to whisper a spell, the tip of her wand glowing with a powerful green color. She flicked her wand, pointing it towards a small teapot that lay near the sink. A green glow suddenly surrounded the pot, and slowly, but gently, it began to float. Then, a cup floated from nearby, sitting itself below the floating teapot, glowing green, as the teapot filled the cup with green tea. Once the cup was full, it floated towards the counter while the teapot went back to its proper place. The cup settled in front of Atsuki, and before long it was glowing another color. A light red glow surrounded the cup now and then it disappeared; the tea was warm.

"There," Diana finally said, nodding. "A warm cup of tea."

Atsuki reacted by just staring at the cup before her, her head slightly tilted while Satoshi and Megumi had their mouths hanging open, unable to believe what had just happened.

Megumi broke the silence first, fanning herself as she pointed at the cup. " _They! She! Oh! They can...how!? What!? How did…! Oh! They...they can do magic! How!? When!?"_ Satoshi gulped, stared at the cup before staring at Diana, wide-eyed.

"W-well...I...uh...Huh!?"

"First time seeing magic in action, huh?" Amanda asked him, smirking slightly at his rather panicked look.

"It's...it's uncommon...here…" Was Satoshi's weak answer, Megumi still muttering and fanning herself nearby.

All the while, the group of little witches were staring at Atsuki, who had yet to say anything and was only staring at the cup before her. They didn't know if Atsuki lack of a reaction was a good or a bad thing...or if she was about to faint.

"Umm…" Lotte began, moving closer toward the counter. "Ak-I mean...Atsuki...are you…" Atsuki, finally, moved. Her hand moving quickly to grab the cup, examining it closer, before dipping a finger unto the cup, curious, and feeling the warm liquid. Almost immediately, her expression changed; the girl was outright excited, pointed at the cup and then, pointing at them.

"Wow! This tea is super warm! These is so neat!" Atsuki exclaimed, laughing. "Sorry for worrying you though! I was just...processing it all!" The girl laughed again, before turning to Satoshi and showing him the cup up closer. "Look! Look! She even heated it up for me!" Atsuki then turned back to Diana and gave her a grin. "Maybe I should keep one of you around instead of using the stove!" Diana gave her a shy smile as Lotte breath out a sigh of relief and the members of the green team (minus Constanze) smiled. Sucy raised an eyebrow with amusement.

Satoshi, for his part, recovered from his shock and took the cup from Atsuki's hands. "...it is warm." Atsuki turned to him with a smile.

"See? See? Isn't it neat?"

"Well...at least, this proves their point," Satoshi remarked with a smile of his own.

" _OH! IT'S MAGIC ALRIGHT!"_ Megumi cried, finally recovering from the whole ordeal of seeing magic. She quickly grabbed Satoshi's collar, shaking him slightly, the cup of tea spilling all over the place as Atsuki watched, amused. " _Did you see that!? Do you what this means!?"_

"...that they can use magic?" Satoshi responded, rather annoyed by the mess she was making. Megumi just groaned in annoyance and let go of his collar before turning to Atsuki who was already handing out a towel so Satoshi could clean the mess.

" _They can use magic, Akko-chan! Did you see!? They really can!"_

"Sure, they can! They did warmed the tea, after all." Atsuki went to grab the cup from Satoshi, who gave it back as he began to clean the mess it had made, before extending the cup towards her friend. Megumi, however, just grabbed the cup and placed it on the counter, ignoring it completely.

" _No! No, darling! That's not what I meant! You're not getting it!"_ Megumi's eyes began to sparkle, before she pointed at the girls. " _They could help us!"_ Atsuki's smile disappeared almost instantly, but it seemed Megumi didn't notice. " _They could use magic to help with the show! Your show!"_

"No." Megumi blinked in surprise.

" _No? Why not?"_

"Because…" Atsuki turned to stare at the confused witches, before whispering back in her native tongue, " _They're not suppose to actually be here...they messed up a spell...of some sort. They could get in trouble if they keep using magic,"_ Atsuki crossed her arms over her chest and turned to the side. " _Besides, why do we need the magic for? Anything that needs fixing is already covered."_ Satoshi glanced at her as he finished wiping the tea off the counter.

" _And what about all those holes and the grafitti we woke up to last week? Hmm?"_ Megumi countered, hands on her hips once more. " _And what about two days ago? That big hole in the middle of the stage is getting harder and harder to ignore."_ Atsuki turned to her friend and frowned.

" _Megumi...I said no."_

" _Oh! Please! At least consider it, darling! If money's the problem, we can pay! I will force Satoshi to pay to them if I must!"_

(" _Hey!"_ )

" _No, Megumi. These girls are lost and alone. We are not taking of advantage of them."_

" _That's not what we are doing, darling! It's just for one day! One day! And besides, this is the big show! Don't you want it to be perfect?"_ Atsuki let out a long sigh, before covering her face with her hands and slightly shaking her head.

" _...I...I just want it to be over…"_ Megumi walked up towards her friend and began patting her back, Satoshi staring at them for a while before turning towards the worried witches nearby.

It was Lotte that walked closer, her eyes turning towards Satoshi. "Is...is she okay?" Satoshi shook his head.

"No...not really."

"What were they talking about, anyway?" Sucy asked, walking behind Lotte, with Diana and Amanda and her team behind her.

"You," the boy answered.

Diana nodded slowly. "I...I see...perhaps…" she turned to her classmates, "Perhaps it will be wise for us to...leave. We seemed to be causing unnecessary stress to you all." But Satoshi smiled nervously, shaking his head.

"No, no! Tha-that's not it! Uh...well, not that you are the problem, uh…Megumi...well, she just mentioned to Atsuki that you could help her with...something...and Atsuki kept saying no and...well…"

"Must have said more because that was an odd reaction to have," Sucy pointed out, gesturing towards the two girls by the counter. Satoshi let out a breath.

"It...it's been a...few difficult months for Atsuki...the break-in...and a few other things got in the way of an...event...she's been planning...it's been a total disaster."

"An event?" Amanda chirped. "What kind?"

"A concert," came a voice from nearby.

Atsuki was smiling at them sadly, seemingly having recovered from whatever she was suffering from a few seconds ago. She wasn't hiding behind her hands but her sadness was rather palpable.

"A...a concert?" Diana repeated, bewildered.

"A concert," Atsuki confirmed with a nod. "I sing. I'm a singer."

No one said anything as they registered the words.

(Akko's mother was a singer? ...okay. But, wouldn't Akko have told them about that now? That is, if she wasn't so obsessed with Shiny Chariot.)

"...you...you sing…?" Lotte asked, her eyes shining with a strange emotion. Atsuki let out a small laugh, scratching her cheek as it turned red with slight embarrassment.

"I do sing. I'm not that good, though…"

Satoshi shook his head, smiling softly. "That's not true, Atsuki! You're a wonderful singer!"

"I appreciate the thought, Satoshi but I'm not the best, that much we can all agree on." Atsuki smiled. "I was just telling Megumi here not to take...ah, advantage of you suddenly transporting yourselves here...I don't want you girls getting into trouble at my expense." Diana shook her head.

"I fear we are already in trouble...or will be, in the near future…" Atsuki flinched slightly.

"...I see."

Megumi, for her part, grinned and began tapping Satoshi's shoulder. " _Hey! Hey! Useless Kagari! Be my translator! Ask them if they want to help!"_

"Megumi…"

"What!? Why are you calling me 'useless'!?"

" _Just ask them, Satoshi!"_

"Megumi, I already said no!"

"We could help you…" Diana interjected before another argument could break out. "But...our magic is limited. Our wands probably have enough magic for a few more spells...if we are in luck."

"Uh...actually, only you and Sucy have your wands…" Amanda muttered, suddenly shy when Diana turned to look at her, frowning. "Jasna and Cons left theirs in the dorm and well...I might have dropped mine when I was covering my mouth from all that smoke…"

"I...I left mine behind as well...when the cauldron caught on fire...I...panicked...and well…" Lotte explained, smiling nervously as Diana turned to look at her as well. "I...was going to use it for the, ah, other spell we needed to use…" Atsuki let out a small whistle and grinned.

"You almost burned your school down?"

Sucy shrugged. "Eh, not exactly. The spell just messed up and exploded. Too many cooks in the kitchen, as it were."

"Oh! Now I can definitely see why you'll be in trouble once you get back!" Atsuki replied with a small laugh. Eventually, her expression turned serious. "But...are you sure you want to...uh...help? Wouldn't that...cause...uh...complications on your part?" Diana and the others immediately realized what Atsuki was telling them.

If something happened, would the future be different?

What would happen to Akko?

What would happen to them?

Diana cleared her throat. "...he-helping you should be...fine…Our faulty 'teleportation' spell...well, we will require aid from those that didn't...umm...did not cast it. I believe if we helped you with our magic...we could...we could create some sort of...beacon, so our teachers could locate us faster."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just use a phone?" Satoshi suddenly asked, making Diana blink in surprise as Amanda and Lotte exchanged glances.

Megumi shook her head. " _And risk those long-distance charges?"_

"Well," Satoshi began, giving Megumi a disapproving look, "they are offering to help _you_. The least you could do is offer to pay for their calls."

"It wouldn't matter, anyway," Sucy said. "We don't have phones at school."

"And what about your parents?" Satoshi pressed, seemingly unconvinced by that excuse.

"The spell is...complicated," Diana quickly explained, shaking her head as a beads of sweat began covering her forehead. "We won't...ah...be leaving this place without...outside help…" Satoshi, still, was not convinced.

"Are you saying whatever thing you did is literally anchoring you to Japan?"

"We messed it up," Sucy told him. "The spell's keeping us here until someone else reverses its effects. Calling our parents won't get us any prizes." Satoshi still looked concerned.

"If you're sure…"  
 **  
**"We are..thank you," Diana replied quickly, turning to stare at Atsuki and a beaming Megumi. "I suppose the only thing to take care of would be finding something to help us cast magic...I don't presume you have a sorcerer's stone lying around, do you? Or the equivalent?"

" _Oh! I don't know about that!"_ Megumi told her, staring at the clock on the wall nearby before turning towards Atsuki. " _Darling...it's that time again."_ At that, Atsuki's expression soften, the smile dropping from face as she sent a sad look Megumi's way.

"...it's already three?"

" _Yes. The doctor said he'll be free by then! We should go! Say hi! And then, after that, check in with Fukuyama-san and see how the kimonos are all coming up for the show!"_ Atsuki nodded absentmindedly as Megumi began to drag her away from the counter and towards the door. " _Kagari! Why don't you take the girls to the local temple? I'm pretty sure they'll have what they need for the show!"_ And with that, Atsuki and Megumi were gone, leaving Satoshi alone with the young witches.

"...are you sure Ak-I mean, Atsuki's alright?" Amanda asked after the door closed on them. "...is she sick?"

"No…" Satoshi replied sadly. "Anyway," he began, changing the subject. "Megumi mentioned we can probably get you something to use magic for the show with the local miko. They have a shop by the temple's entrance...they probably have what you need...probably."

The girls glanced at one another in concern. Something was definitely going on, and no one was willing to talk about it….whatever it was, it seemed serious.

Satoshi held the door opened for them and motioned for them to start walking. "I'll tell you about Atsuki's father when we get there."

* * *

Minutes after Diana Cavendish had left the cafeteria to follow Kagari's wayward group of friends, Hannah and Barbara found themselves following Akko, who was marching back to her room, a pack of papers held neatly on her arms.

They weren't planning to follow the worst witch in school, but they just couldn't help it.

This girl was being to secretive for what they figured was something stupid.

Akko was always overreacting. If it wasn't that stupid scavenger hunt, it was that stupid parade...alright, maybe the parade hadn't been that stupid of an idea. It certainly looked like fun...from a distance.

Okay, so it was a success, if one were not to count that stupid titan that was unsealed by that idiot mayor. Someone could have actually died! The nerve of the jerk!

"..I still don't see the point," Hannah muttered, as they stopped behind Akko, who had began to look at the notes, stopping here and there to wave at a few of the girls walking by. "What's so special about her family, anyway?"

"...maybe she's going to lie about them?" Barbara remarked.

"...why would she? She's a terrible liar. Remember that whole thing with the tarts last week? Nah, she's actually being serious...and it's kinda scary." They glanced at Akko, who had suddenly stopped walking, and was moving her head from side to side, as if looking for something, her face getting a little pale.

"But why keep it a secret? It's not like she's quiet about that Shiny Chariot of hers...why would she be quiet about this?" Hannah shrugged.

"Be-hey...what's she doing now…?"

The notes that Akko was holding on her hands, began, slowly, to fall. Akko wasn't making an effort to hold on to them, her hands busier over her stomach. Her face was growing paler and paler, much more than what was healthy. The girl's eyes seem to jump out of her head, widening as she clutched her stomach tighter.

Akko let out a whimpering gasp, her legs giving out under her, falling face first onto the floor.

Hannah and Barbara ran up to her, and panicked when they noticed she was turning blue and had trouble breathing.

"Kagari! Akko! Akko!" Barbara cried, but Hannah was faster. She tried to pick Akko up, but the girl was dead weight in her arms. When she couldn't pick her up, she began to frantically pat her back, forcing whatever she was choking out to be spat out.

"Spit it out, you idiot! Whatever you ate! Spit it out!"

But Akko was not listening. Her eyes were brimming with tears and her hands were moving towards her neck, nails digging into her skin to stop whatever seemed to be blocking it. Barbara stopped her before she could do anymore damage to herself, holding her hands while Hannah continued to pat her back to no avail.

"The nurse! Get the nurse!" Barbara screeched to the students around her as Akko began to choke and trash about, as if something, or someone was choking the life out of her.

By the time a few teachers and the nurse arrived, Akko had fainted.


	4. A Heartache

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

Hope you enjoy this chapter! And see you next week with another update!

* * *

 **-4-**

 **A Heartache**

Atsuki's neighborhood was one of the many located in Edogawa.

The houses were cramped together side by side, one floor, two, sometimes three floors. Old man Fukuyama's shop lay just a street away, and Satoshi Kagari's home was right next door, while the Takedas lived on the left. All the houses in this particular street were colored a pale white, coupled by brown and gray roofs, all except Fukuyama's store, who was bright and cheerful with that bright red neon sign on the top of his front door. Each house had its own front lawn, surrounded by brick fences, a path of rocks or tiles, leading towards a wooden door and out the street. The lawn in front of Atsuki's home was simple, neatly cut short, with a maple tree lying near the corner, clashing the white with its vibrant reds. Her old man had planted that tree years ago, when he and Mother had first moved into this house. Atsuki's mother was gone now, and only the tree remained.

Atsuki sometimes found herself staring at the old thing, wondering why it still remained while her mother had gone. She remembered feeling silly about it. Blaming a tree. Her father had done the same thing once, as old Fukuyama would say. He had threatened to cut down that infernal tree in a drunken stupor a year after her mother passed away. Atsuki had been two years old then. Her mother had already left the world then and her father was all she had.

It had been a painful time for all of them.

Atsuki couldn't help but let out a tired sigh, barely hearing Megumi as she closed the door behind her.

" _Are you ready, darling?"_ Megumi asked her, linking her arms with Atsuki's, as they began to walk, slowly, down the path towards the street.

" _...a little bit, yeah..."_ Atsuki answered, not even bothering with a smile. " _I...I did see him yesterday."_ Megumi patted her arm gently.

" _And you were miserable then, too."_ Atsuki let out a shaky breath as Megumi reached for the gate and opened it, the two girls finally stepping on the sidewalk.

" _I...just...I hate it."_ Atsuki began, clenching her eyes shut. " _I...it...those machines...all those memories...huh...I hate going there...I...just want him back home…"_ The young girl let out a shaky sigh as her friend massaged her back, trying to soothe her. But Atsuki wasn't going to cry. Not anymore. She didn't want to.

They began walking with Megumi guiding her friend, but not even two steps and Atsuki let out a small little whimper. " _Akko-chan...it's going to be okay…"_ Megumi murmured, pulling her into a hug.

The two stayed still for a while, before Atsuki broke the hug, and smiled a sad smile towards her friend. " _Thank you…"_ Megumi gave her a soft smile.

" _No need for that, Akko-chan...that's what friends are for, after all. Now, let's_ _ー"_

" _ONEE-CHAN!"_

Atsuki and Megumi blinked in surprise at the sudden noise. Before they could look around, they heard that voice again.

" _Onee-chan!"_

The two girls turned and finally spotted the little boy. He was young, four or five years old, with short black hair and shirt and shoes that were both wrinked and messy with grass stains. One of his little shoes was untied, but he didn't seem to care as he ran up to the girls and jumped up and down excitedly.

" _Onee-chan!"_ the little boy cried again as Atsuki smiled down at him. She kneeled in front of him so she could be face to face, the boy jumping into her arms, squeezing her into a hug. " _You're home! You're home!"_

" _So I am...hello Go, how are you?"_

" _Booorrreeedddd!"_ Little Go replied, finally letting go of the older girl to pout. " _You weren't around to play!"_

" _But how can you be bored, Go? Satoshi's been telling me you're switching our mail around. Again."_ Go let out a sheepish laugh, a hand behind his little head as Megumi crossed her arms over her chest and let out a huff.

" _It's not like it makes much of a difference,"_ the other girl pointed out. " _You don't live in the middle of Shibuya. You live right next door to each other."_

" _What have I told you, Go?"_ Atsuki asked the youngster, ignoring her friend's remark. " _No playing with the mail. The letters could be super important."_ Go kicked a bit of dirt, giving Atsuki a rather adorable guilty expression. Atsuki smiled at the display. " _Tell you what, Go...if you promise not to play with my mail again, I'll take you to Fukuyama's shop and buy you some mochi...how's that sound?"_ Go's eyes brightened and he let out a small cheer as he began to jump up and down with joy, as Atsuki stood up, dusting her knee.

Megumi turned to her friend and frowned. " _Really, darling? This kid already moves too much as it is. Adding more sugar to his system will probably make him explode."_

" _Nah. Go's too resilient to explode. He'll probably just fall asleep,"_ Atsuki told her before turning to the cheering boy. " _And what are you doing today, Go?"_

" _I'm running away!"_

Silence.

Go was smiling, grinning from ear to ear. Atsuki blinked while Megumi stared at the boy. A few seconds later, the two girls reacted, Atsuki by raising an eyebrow and Megumi letting out a small worried gasp. " _...he...he's what…!?"_ Megumi whispered, eyes wide, but Atsuki just let out a small laugh and turned toward her worried friend, pointing to a house right next door to the Kurosawa home.

" _Megumi...he lives right there."_ And as if to prove her point, an older woman was seen getting out of her home, carrying a basket in one hand and a small little handkerchief in the other in the shape of a small box. Closing the door behind her, the woman noticed the girls almost immediately, nodding at them before turning towards little Go.

" _Go! You forgot your lunch!"_ Go let out a small whine and began stomping his little feet in annoyance.

 _"Mooommmmyyyyy!"_ he yelled. _"I'm running away!"_

 _"I know you are, Go,"_ his mother remarked gently with a grin, _"but I don't want you going hungry."_ She smiled at the girls. " _Hello!"_

" _Hello, Takeda-san,"_ Atsuki replied, bowing slightly as Megumi watched little Go rush towards his mother to grab his lunch; she let out a small groan and under her breath whispered, " _...that little brat…"_ while Atsuki grinned her way.

Once Go had obtained his lunch, the boy quickly turned towards Atsuki and began walking, his mother following close behind.

While Megumi was grumbling behind her, Atsuki sent Takeda-san another smile, which the woman returned. " _How are you doing, Akko-chan?"_ the older woman asked. Atsuki responded first with a shrug before sighing.

" _Better."_

" _I'm guessing you're off to visit your father, eh?"_ Atsuki gave the older woman a small nod.

" _Yes, Takeda-san…"_

" _Ah,"_ Takeda-san nodded. " _Hopefully it's good news this time and that doctor of his let's him go today...I hate to see you all alone in that house...especially after what happened…"_

Atsuki smiled sadly. " _It's alright, Takeda-san...Megumi and Satoshi are staying with me until this all boils over…"_

" _Oh! Oh! I wanna stay, too!"_ Go suddenly cried, grabbing unto Atsuki's shorts with his free hand while he waved his little lunch box with the other. " _I wanna sleep over at your house, Onee-chan!"_

Atsuki laughed. " _But I thought you said you were running away?"_

" _I'll run away to your house!"_

Takeda-san sent her son a knowing smile and shook her head. " _Didn't you say you were running away to the park?"_ she asked him. Go turned towards her with a pout.

" _I'll do it later!"_

" _But no one's going to be at home now, Go,"_ Atsuki told him, glancing behind her.

Satoshi and the little witches went the other direction, heading towards the way that led to the nearby local shrine. Satoshi noticed them first, quickly waving at Atsuki and Megumi before leading the group away, the blonde girl and ginger taking glances once or twice as they did so.

" _Oh! You had visitors?"_ Takeda-san asked as she watched the girls and Satoshi leave. " _Are...are those girls in uniform?"_ Megumi and Atsuki exchanged glances, before the former smiled nervously.

" _Ah! Yes! Sharp eyes on you, Takeda-san!"_ Megumi exclaimed, while Atsuki gave her a disbelieving look as the older woman blinked in confusion. Before Megumi could dig herself deeper, Atsuki quickly came to the rescue.

" _The girls are helping me, actually…"_ she lied.

" _Yes! Yes! Uh...they...they are from a very special school! They specialize in theater and many other...uh...things...they really weren't very specific…"_ Atsuki sent another look Megumi's way as Takeda-san nodded in understanding.

" _Oh! I see! Well, hopefully these girls will actually be trustworthy...unlike that other nasty bunch."_

" _They're fine."_ Atsuki told her, smiling sadly. " _They offered to help us...on a few things here and there. Satoshi went with them to get a few supplies."_

" _Yes! Yes! Supplies! For the show! Yeah!"_

Takeda-san gave Megumi an amused look before nodding towards Atsuki. " _I can see the whole thing has you girls jumping all over the place. But, ah, look at the time, I don't want to keep you any longer, girls,"_ the older woman patted her son's head, " _Come on, Go, let's get going...we'll be seeing Akko-chan and Megumi-chan later, alright?"_ The little boy shook his head.

" _Can't I go with you?"_ Go asked, his little eyes shining with hope that was immediately shattered when Atsuki shook her head.

" _I'm sorry, Go...I won't be going to a fun place."_ Atsuki lowered herself down to his level and gave him a hug. " _Why don't you...run away to the park and tell me all about it when you get back?"_ The little boy hugged her back, saddened, but eventually both pulled away and he nodded.

" _Okay."_

" _That's a good boy,"_ Takeda-san commented, smiling. " _Come along Go or else our lunch will get cold."_

" _No! Not our lunch!"_ Taking his mother's hand, Go and Takeda-san began walking away, the little boy turning around as Atsuki stood up again, waving his little hand animatedly. " _Bye onee-chan! Bye onee-chan's friend!"_ Atsuki giggled, noticing the look of annoyance on Megumi's face. The girls waved back, watching as mother and son left the two girls behind.

" _...why am I just the_ friend _of this equation, anyway?"_ Megumi inquired, once Go and his mother were out of earshot.

Atsuki shrugged and offered her friend a playful smile. " _You know I don't swing that way."_

" _Well, I'll have you know I have more fun on my side of the playground than you could ever have on Kagari's."_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It took the girls twenty minutes to reach the hospital.

It then took another twenty minutes to get Atsuki inside, as the poor girl had, like every other time she had come to visit, began to walk to and fro in front of the hospital doors, unsure of whether to walk in or just go the other way. Usually, Satoshi or Megumi would gently push the poor girl inside, all the while the receptionist sent her a knowing look.

This time, it was no different.

After getting Atsuki inside, Megumi quickly went to the front desk, while Atsuki, nervous and sweating, began to wring her hands. By the time Megumi had finished talking with the receptionist, Atsuki looked like she was about to cry.

" _...I...I can't do this…"_

" _You always say that, Atsuki…"_ Megumi began gently. " _He's fine. He was fine yesterday, he'll be fine today."_ Megumi began to drag her, walking slowly towards the hallways and into the elevator.

Megumi was still holding her hand when they arrived in front of room #2013.

Atsuki let out a shaky sigh.

Every time. Every time she was here, she got nervous, she panicked. She remembered the past. She remembered her father, lying on the bed, machines and tubes keeping him alive, and his heart...his poor, fragile heart, barely beating, barely living.

Megumi squeezed her shoulders gently, and began to push her, slowly, towards the door. " _You can do this...you can do this...alright?"_ Atsuki nodded, clenching her eyes shut, then quickly opening them, a determined look in her face.

Just don't think of the machines….just don't think of the past...just don't…

And Atsuki, gently, oh, so gently, opened the door and walked in, slowly, Megumi standing back, and nodding as the door was closed with her on the other side.

" _Akko-chan!"_ came the exuberant cry of an older man, who lay on the bed, smiling brightly. Atsuki gave the old man a shaky smile, trying to ignore the wires and the slight beeping of the monitors near the bed.

Kurosawa Yuujin was looking alright, for someone that had had a heart attack a week ago.

The first attack came to him almost a year ago, a small hint of pain in the chest that went away on its own. Days later, the same thing, a little pain, nothing to worry about. Then, five months ago, while he was out drinking with the boys, his heart finally burst with agony and he had collapsed. He had not seeing Atsuki's suffering during the two days he was out for the count, and the month he spent in the hospital.

Back then, Yuujin had only been one year at his job as a police chief in the Komatsugawa Police Station. The heart attack and his doctor's diagnosis forced him to quit the job, retiring before problems were fixed as the doctor figured the unnecessary stress could cause his heart more trouble than it could handle.

But his recovery wasn't an easy one. He couldn't exercise like he used to, couldn't eat the foods that he enjoyed. His muscular body became thinner and thinner as the days passed by; the muscles were all but gone, his arms and his legs looked too thin on him, and event that small belly he had acquired during his one year tenure as a police chief was long gone.

And while Yuujin's appearance had changed, his attitude was still the same. Sure, he was sick, but he didn't care. He was still her father. Still easygoing and friendly, still bright and gentle, still...still alive.

Atsuki shook her head, and began walking towards the bed nervously. " _Hi, Papa…"_ she whispered. Atsuki hated to see her father like this. So thin, so different...so sick. Atsuki gently shook her head as she gave her father a hug, being careful with the equipment around him, with her father holding her close.

They stayed like that for a while, before Yuujin finally asked. " _How are you doing, kiddo? Handling the fort okay while I'm gone?"_ he asked, getting a nod from Atsuki.

" _It's alright...Satoshi and Megumi keep me company.."_

" _I prefer if only Sasaki-kun kept you company, though!"_ Yuujin told her, finally letting go of his daughter, watching as Atsuki settled herself on a chair by his bedside.

" _Satoshi's fine, papa,"_ Atsuki told him.

" _Not for me, he isn't,"_ the older man told her, crossing his arms over his chest, " _What's he going to do to defend you if someone breaks into the house, eh? Throw shoes at 'em?"_ For the first time since she arrived, Atsuki laughed.

" _You know he would."_

" _Only if Sasaki-kun doesn't throw him first,"_ Yuujin replied with a grin. " _I would like to see that."_

" _Please, Megumi doesn't need your encouragement….she's right outside the door."_

" _Good!"_ Yuujin said, before shouting, " _Hey! Sasaki-kun! You have my utmost permission to use Kagari as a human shield!"_ From behind the door, Megumi's voice answered back.

" _I would do my best, sir!"_

" _Megumi! Papa!"_

" _What?"_ came Yuujin's innocent remark, while Atsuki sent a warning look his way. " _Okay, fine...Sasaki-kun!"_ he yelled at the door. " _Permission...uh, retracted."_

" _It's alright, sir, I would have done it either way."_

" _You two are just the worst to Satoshi…"_ Atsuki said with a pout, making her old man laugh. " _He's sweet...I don't get why you don't like him, papa."_

" _He's a boy! Of course I don't like him! He makes eyes at you and that makes this old head of mine think!"_

Atsuki sighed. " _You are so mean, papa..."_

" _Only because I love you,"_ Yuujin answered, smiling. Atsuki smiled back. " _Anyway...how's the show going?"_

Ah. The show. Right.

Atsuki hated to talk about that everytime she came to visit.

Everything was wrong; those backup dancers her agent had found had left them in the dust for a better deal without warning, the stage had been vandalized for days, over and over and over again, and finally, to cap it all off, someone ha broken into their home three days ago and stole her rhyme book, all that work writing those songs gone in the blink of an eye.

Yuujin knew about the break-in. He had been told by one of his old friends from the old days about it all figuring that Atsuki wouldn't want to worry him (he was right) and so, the poor man had been almost frantic with worry, and would have marched himself out of the hospital if Megumi and Satoshi had not offered to stay with his daughter until he came back. Their neighbors, too, had offered to help, and Atsuki and her father had greatly appreciated it all.

Atsuki could handle her father knowing about the break-in, but she couldn't handle telling him about the show and how bad everything was going.

The concert would probably be cancelled if something wasn't done soon, and Atsuki was fine with that. But if Yuujin found out, he'll be livid. He'll make inquiries and he'll try to solve the case but Atsuki didn't want him to. She didn't care enough if the concert was cancelled or not, she just wanted to be done with it all and if she could spare her father the anger, it would be worth it.

So, for now, she'll just lie and live with that decision in the future.

" _...it's moving along...we had some troubles...but I think we got it all settled."_ Atsuki told him gently. " _...making it perfect...well...it's been quite a hassle…it's my last show after all."_ Yuujin sent her a sad look.

" _...I hate the fact that it is…"_

Atsuki shook her head, smiling. " _That was my decision."_

" _...that you made because of your old man, kiddo,"_ Yuujin pointed out. " _I don't like the fact that it's me that's making you quit."_ Atsuki grabbed his hand with both of hers, squeezing it gently.

" _It's fine, papa...I...I made my decision...this is my last show."_

" _...Atsuki...it doesn't have to be…"_

" _I want it to,"_ Atsuki replied, undeterred. " _I won't stop singing...just...not in a stage...not in front of fans...not anymore after this last show."_

" _But...being a singer had been your dream since you were a little girl, Akko-chan,"_ her father said, sadly. " _You love to sing."_

And the tears that Atsuki was holding in, came bursting forth, one by one by one. She still held onto her father's hand, even as she smiled and the tears tainted her cheeks with anguish.

"I do love singing...but...I love you more, papa…"

And Yuujin held her, hiding her face on his shoulder as she cried, Atsuki holding unto him, not letting go.

There were no more words, only tears to wash away the pain.


	5. Hey, it's Magic!

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

 **Author's Note: So sorry!** I kinda got caught up in other things and completely forgot about this one. But now, I'm back again. Other than some minor corrections, the story will be updated twice a week, Monday and Friday, starting next week.

Again, sorry for the delay!

* * *

 **-5-**

 **Hey, it's Magic!**

The streets of Japan were a rather new experience for Diana; the buildings were between modern and old, meshing together to create a strange picture, coupled with the modern technology that were the streetlights and signs all over the place.

Children and adults polluted the streets, eyeing them uncertainty as they walked, a few people sitting in cafes whispering and openly staring.

They had been walking for almost twenty minutes, and Diana was getting uncomfortable with all the staring, especially when no one in the group, from the exception of Satoshi Kagari, could understand what they were saying.

"...maybe it's just me," Amanda began, as they were waiting for the lights to turn green to cross a street, "but is anyone else bothered by all this staring?" Constanze raised a hand and nodded. Jasminka followed with a nod, while Sucy shrugged and Lotte and Diana glanced at each other, unsure.

"Don't take it personally," Satoshi said, squinting at the light far away on the other side of the street. "Tourists are...well...it's a matter of perspective more than anything. It's easier to trust locals than strangers."

"But Atsuki seemed to trust us," Sucy pointed out. Satoshi shrugged.

"Atsuki may look trusting but she's actually pretty good at reading people...usually, if she thought you were a threat she would have thrown you out."

"It's a good thing she was reasonable when we arrived, then," Diana muttered, unsure on how she would handle a girl that could fight, not for a lack of trying but rather because other than minotaurs and dragons and titans, she had never fought against another person before.

"She can fight?" Sucy asked, as the light finally turned green and the group started moving again.

"Yes...yes, she can. Usually, she'll rather talk things over with a few words than some broken bones. She hates fighting."

"Wow...that's...rather amazing." Amanda complimented, eyes widening slightly.

"Well, Atsuki is amazing." Satoshi responded with a grin.

"...welp...this I didn't need to hear," Sucy muttered, making a face, but Lotte just smiled.

"I think it's rather adorable."

"...he could at least try to be less obvious."

"I am right here, you know," Satoshi grumbled. "Ah...the temple should be...oh! There it is! By those gates over there! At least I hope it is…!" He pointed at the end of the street, and the girls had to stop to admire the large, red and white temple before them, surrounded by large, stone walls, and a beautiful path of trees with pink and green leaves.

The temple was unlike one Diana had ever seen, well, not up close, anyway. Visiting a place for the first was much more different than just seeing it on old textbooks and admiring their architecture from beyond photographs.

The temple was rather small, with triangular roofs, held up like little, spiky hats. The roof was colored a brilliant red, and the walls divided their colors with a dark red and a pale white. Walls made out of concrete and stone, surrounded the area like a fence, with an opening right in the middle that led to a path with trees of all sizes, with reddish and green leaves scattered about, petals making the dirt path even more colorful than it needed to. Far beyond, however, they could see the forest of trees go farther away, a red gate of some sort stood in the distance, opened for anyone to pass through.

Could it be another path to a temple farther into the woods, Diana wondered, as she and the others followed after Satoshi.

"Here, follow me...the shop should be...right here, see?" He pointed towards a smaller little temple, that lay on the side of the dirt road, leading towards the bigger building. "Every year, the mikos from this temple set up a temporary shop right there...don't know how they do it, but the little building is always there at the beginning of vacations."

"Maybe it's magic," Sucy pointed out. "How they move the little shop, I mean…there's probably some spells for that, too."

"And here I was thinking they were just super efficient," Satoshi said, as he and the others walked towards the little shop, opening the sliding door and letting the girls get in before he stepped inside.

The shop was much bigger on the inside than it had been on the outside. It was cluttered with many objects, small statues of cats, little shrines, bottles, statues of foxes, lions, and many other little trinkets Diana could have sworn she had seen been sold on the small little stands and shops they passed by before they arrived at the temple.

A small counter lay on the far back, manned by a young woman, older than Satoshi and the little witches by probably a few years, wearing her hair in a bun, and a white and red kimono. She stared at them with a smile and argued them to come closer.

" _Welcome, welcome!"_ she said, smiling brightly.

Diana and the others stared at Satoshi, who nodded and gestured with his head to walk towards the counter.

" _Hello, Yoko-san,"_ Satoshi began, offering an apologetic look towards the girls before nodding at the young woman. " _We need your help."_

" _I'm afraid I don't work for free...at least, not while I'm manning the shop, Kagari-kun,"_ the woman, Yoko, said, grinning. " _So, what seems to be the problem? And who are these little witches?"_

" _Well, I…"_ Satoshi suddenly stopped, and stared at Yoko with a bewildered expression. " _How did you know they were…?"_

" _Witches?"_ Yoko asked, sounding smug. " _Their magical aura is all over the place, especially the blonde one...she's got impressive magic that one."_

" _I….I see…"_

" _So, what do you need?"_ This question she directed towards the girls. " _I'm surprised you kids are wandering without a magatama in your hands. We don't have sorcerer's stones here in Japan...at least, that's not what they are called...we call them_ _taiyō no kakera. Unfortunately, our little sun is way deep inside the forest...so, magic is rather limited around here without a magatama."_

The girls stared at her silently, before Diana turned to Satoshi and said, "...umm...what did she say?"

At that, Yoko laughed. " _Oops! I forgot! My mistake! I keep forgetting I haven't learned English yet!"_ She turned away from her customers and faced the shelf, examining and pointing at bottles before grabbing a simple, empty bottle with a cork on top. Yoko turned to face the young man and the group of witches and placed the bottle delicately on the counter before her. Taking a deep breath and placing her hands together as if in prayer, she began to murmur, " _Baberbare…_ _Supīchi_ _!"_

 _Clink...clank.._

The bottle began to shake, it's empty inside glowing like a light bulb. Satoshi jumped when the bottle moved, standing side by side with Lotte and Sucy, who were watching the shaking bottle with some interest. Diana was rather fascinated, sensing the strange magic taking place but unsure of its effects. Amanda and her teammates just glanced at each other, shrugging.

 _Pop!_

The bottle shook one final time, before the cork removed itself, almost too quickly for the eye to see, but before it could disappear into the unknown, Yoko clapped her hands over the cork, squishing the thing into dust, before blowing the it away and towards the witches before her.

And then, the dust began to change shape as it travelled towards the group.

First, the small cloud split into six smaller clouds, who extended and twirled in the air before they took the simple shape of a fish. The fish swam around in the air for a bit, before quickly swimming towards the young witches, circling them until they reached the side of their heads, before disappearing into their ears.

Amanda let out a cry of annoyance as the little fish disappeared into her ear, while her teammates tried to fan the dust fishes away to no avail. Lotte let out a squeak of surprise, while Sucy winced as a fish of her own entered her ear. Diana was the only one that didn't react, nodding as the artificial fish made its way towards her ears.

Satoshi, for his part, was panicking.

" _What did you do!?"_ he cried, turning towards Yoko, who was putting the small bottle away. " _What was that!?"_

"A simple translation spell, nothing of concern," Diana answered with a nod.

" _What do you mean a translation spell!? What do you….wait a minute!"_ Satoshi pointed a finger in disbelief. " _You can understand me!?"_

"...shit, we can!" Amanda said, her eyes widening in surprise. She turned to Yoko and glared. "You should have given us a heads up, lady!"

" _But where's the fun in that?"_ Yoko asked, sounding amused. " _Everyone's a critic."_

" _Maybe you should have warned them about the fish entering their heads!"_ Satoshi grumbled.

"It is quite alright," Diana said, "This spell is some sort of variant of the _Translata Omilia_." Satoshi just stared at her like she was crazy, making Diana flush with exasperation as she quickly explained, "It's one of the most common translation spells. This spell is efficient at translating a spoken language for a time, depending on the amount of magic used to cast it. I am to assume this one also runs on a time limit?"

" _Right you are, miss,"_ Yoko nodded. " _The_ Baberbare Supīchi _is a little stronger than your_ Translata Omilia _spell...it runs on a twenty-four hour limit! And...can translate any language without trouble. Doesn't translate written language I'm afraid but I get the feeling you won't be doing much reading...oh, and before I forget, that'll be 2,600 yen, Kagari-san."_

" _I didn't ask you for that spell...but okay…"_ Satoshi muttered, sounding annoyed by it all.

" _And the magatamas will be 10,000 yen each."_

" _...I am glad I came here...no, really…"_ Satoshi just sighed, not even bothering to speak English anymore now that the group of witches could understand him.

"Umm...you really don't have to…" Lotte began, but Satoshi was already taking out his wallet, and giving the young woman behind the counter the correct amount of money.

" _Naw...it's fine. It's for Atsuki…so, it's fine…"_

" _Oh, you girls are helping Kurosawa with her show?"_ Yoko asked. " _I heard it's been quite the mess back there...a woman came to see us about it, wanted help for it. Now, when did the girls say that was…? Last week, maybe? What was her name again...Mamori...something, something."_

" _Yukimura Mamori?"_ Satoshi provided, causing Yoko to snap her fingers and nod.

" _Yep! That's the one!"_

" _Mamori-san is Atsuki's agent…"_ Satoshi explained before any of the girls could ask.

"I see...is she helping Atsuki organize the show?" Lotte inquired, getting a nod from Satoshi in turn.

" _She's mostly a hands-off approach kind of person...at least for this event, or so she says."_ Satoshi explained. " _This will be Atsuki's last show..."_

"...her last? Why's that?" Jasminka asked.

" _...because she's retiring."_

"...what?" Lotte replied, dumbfounded. "She's...retiring!?"

"...that's...something," Sucy muttered, sounding a little surprised. Diana and Amanda exchanged looks, before the Cavendish girl said,

"...she seems a little too young to be retiring so soon…"

" _Atsuki loves to sing,"_ Satoshi explained, leaning an elbow against the counter, " _But when her dad got sick, well...I guess she lost the motivation for it…"_

"Ah, so that's why she was acting so weird," Sucy remarked, nodding. "She's upset."

" _She just wants to spend time with her father."_

"O-oh…" Lotte murmured, sharing a sad look with Jasminka.

"Is he…?" Diana began only for Satoshi to shake his head.

" _No, nothing like that...his heart's just a little weak...that illness is never going away. And well, no one's sure if the next attack...well, I think you get the point."_

"We didn't mean to pry."

" _No, it's fine...it's fine,"_ Satoshi said, shaking his head. " _I'm betting Atsuki would have told you anyway…"_ He turned towards Yoko, who was putting two small glowing green magatamas unto the counter.

" _Satoshi only gave me the exact amount for two of these,"_ Yoko explained. " _I'm assuming it's not because he's being stingy with his money."_

" _Hey! I paid for that previous charge, didn't I?"_ Satoshi was indignant. " _But yes...only two of them have...uh...wands."_

" _I see…"_ Yoko stared at Diana, and then at Sucy. " _Alright, girls...you two, right?"_

Diana and Sucy nodded.

" _Here,"_ she offered the two magatamas to the young witches; Diana examined the small jewel with mild interest, while Sucy just stared at it for a while and then, hid it on some unknown pocket inside her vest. " _These magatamas have enough magical energy to last you at least, twenty-four hours, or less, depending on how much magic you plan on using."_ Yoko offered Diana a small chain made out of dried vines, thin enough to pass through the small hole in the magatama. " _As the magatama reaches its limits, it will break. If the magatama hasn't been destroyed yet, you can come back here and I can refill the magatama with energy again and it will be good to go!...for another twenty-four hours at least."_

"Thank you," Diana told her with a nod. She tied the small chain of vines around the magatama and then, wore her new necklace, hiding it underneath her shirt, the glow barely visible behind it.

Yoko nodded and turned to Satoshi.

" _Please tell Kurosawa-san that if she needs a little help, she shouldn't hesitate to call on us. A lot of the girls love her songs."_

" _I'll let her know...thank you Yoko-san...for that...and for taking my money,"_ Satoshi added, with an unimpressed look.

Yoko beamed. " _It was my pleasure!"_

Diana and the others tried not to laugh too hard as they left the small shop, Yoko waving goodbye all the way.

After they left, Yoko leaned against the counter, frowning.

" _...what an odd magical aura those girls had...a spell gone wrong, perhaps…? Hmm...I wonder..."_

* * *

An hour later, Atsuki and Megumi were slowly making their way back home.

Atsuki was quiet all the way, sighing once or twice, and staring down at the pavement, ignoring everyone else around. The poor girl had almost collided against a few signs and posts, but luckily, Megumi was there to save her from the pain...and the embarrassment.

" _Darling,"_ Megumi began, " _if you're not going to pay attention to the road, we might as well call a taxi."_

" _Hmm?"_ Atsuki stared at her friend, as if finally noticing she was there. " _Oh...sorry, Megumi, I wasn't listening."_

" _Let's just stop walking,"_ Megumi muttered, grabbing Atsuki's hand and leading her to a nearby bench. " _Now, darling,"_ the girl began once she and Atsuki were sitting down, " _what's on your mind?"_

" _...that's not a very smart question, you know…"_

" _Indulge me, sweetheart."_

" _...I guess...I'm just...tired…"_

" _I know,"_ Megumi told her, sighing. " _Will you be alright…?"_

" _...it depends...the show starts tomorrow and we are not even finished...and well...Papa...he's not sure if the doctor will release him by tomorrow...not that I mind, with how everything is going, I'll rather he didn't see the show at all."_

" _Mamori-san will have your head if she hears you talking like that,"_ Megumi warned playfully. " _She won't let you just quit...not when you're this close, though."_

" _...she's been too kind…"_ Atsuki agreed, leaning against the wooden bench. " _She should have ditched me when she had the chance."_ Megumi patted her shoulder, a little too forcefully, making Atsuki give her a gentle stare.

" _I don't want to hear you say that again!"_

" _But it's true...they're many more people out there...Kobayashi, Yoshinari, Yurika, Ohara..."_

" _That's nice,"_ Megumi shook her head. " _But I don't think it will matter to Mamori-san...they are not you. You make music fun for everyone...hey, hey,"_ Megumi grinned, " _remember that show in Shibuya? How they all started to dance along with you after that second song? How you would tell jokes in-between breaks because you were bored backstage? And then..."_

" _...it started raining."_ Atsuki laughed softly. " _The amphitheater was packed...and it started raining."_

" _That didn't stop you from dancing in the rain, though…"_ Megumi pointed out with a grin.

" _...I thought it looked cool…"_ Atsuki replied, shyly.

" _And Mamori-san and the staff were working double time to get people umbrellas or at least, something to protect them from the rain...but they were already dancing with you."_ Megumi laughed. " _Half of them were almost falling over because of how slippery the floor got!"_

" _They had some pretty good moves, too…"_ Atsuki whispered, before she sighed and said, " _But all good things must end...even my career."_

" _Atsuki…"_

" _No, Megumi...this is fine. I'm fine with this."_ Atsuki stared at the tall buildings surrounding them, stared at the shops, the people, and everything. " _My career wasn't the beginning of me...nor will it be the end...I will move on, try something else...but,"_ she gave her old friend a serene smile, " _I won't stop singing…"_

" _...Atsuki…I still think that_ _ー"_

" _Oh, Princess! Is that you!?"_

Atsuki and Megumi turned to stare at the new speaker, who stood just a few steps away from the bench.

She stared at them through black colored glasses, a grin plastered on her pretty face. The newcomer was a tad bit taller thanks to her heels, and appeared rather mature, considering the short skirt and simple white shirt she wore. Necklaces and jewels decorated her neck, while chains of gold and silver dangled from her hands.

" _Kurosawa! Is that you?"_ the speaker went on, holding her glasses with one hand, while clasping a handbag with the other.

" _...ah...Satou-san...what a surprise,"_ Atsuki said, her hand raised in greeting.

Satou Kenta was two years older than Atsuki, and like her, she was also a singer.

Kenta was from the Shibuya ward, a young sensation that rose the ranks and dazzled Tokyo with her voice and style, earning followers by the dozens. Atsuki had admired Kenta from a distance, being one of the many people that enjoyed her music before she herself took to the stage. Even then, Atsuki and Kenta weren't really friends. They knew each other from special events, dinners and the like. Kenta, on the other hand, seemed to take a certain interest towards Atsuki, always smiling at her and talking to her whenever she managed to run into her, as if they were old friends.

It was strange to think the Star of Shibuya had taken an interest in someone like Kurosawa Atsuki.

Atsuki certainly wasn't complaining. Kenta seemed like a nice girl. Megumi, however, would always disagree about that. If you were constantly telling people about you or your achievements, you weren't nice, just vain.

" _It's nice to see you, princess,"_ Kenta replied, with a peculiar smile. " _I had thought you would be too busy with your concert to take a walk."_

Atsuki just shook her head and smiled. " _I had some free time…"_

" _Free time, eh?"_

" _What brings you here, Satou?"_ Megumi butt in, looking at everywhere but at Kenta. Atsuki glanced at her friend curiously, as the other singer laughed gently.

" _Oh, nothing much...just a pet project of mine."_

" _A pet project?"_ Atsuki asked. Kenta nodded, her chains and jewels clinking and clanking against each other.

" _Ah yes...it's been in the works for quite some time...a few months ago, in fact…"_

" _Oh, that's nice!"_ Atsuki told her with a big smile. " _It's good to hear you're working hard."_

" _...thanks,"_ Kenta replied, a strange expression crossing her face.

" _Aw...don't mention it, it's true,"_ Atsuki told her. " _I've been hearing nothing but good things since your concert last month in Hong Kong. It was a big hit."_

" _Well…people do need to hear good music once in a while,"_ Kenta replied, grinning, taking a strand of long, black hair, and playing with it with her fingers. Megumi rolled her eyes, while Atsuki just smiled. Kenta stared back, lost her grin, and pretended to look at an imaginary watch. " _Anyway, I believe I've taken enough of your time. I have lunch with a few friends of mine...and well, you know, wouldn't want to miss it."_ Kenta waved at Atsuki, and smiled at Megumi, before she turned and began walking away, her heels clicking as she disappeared into the crowd.

Once Kenta was out of earshot, Megumi let out a growl. " _...I just can't stand her...how can you?"_

" _She seems alright to me."_

" _Ha! As if she really cared! She's a freaking viper that's what she is!"_ Megumi muttered, indignant. " _Every time she talks to you, it's the same, 'oh, Atsuki, oh, oh', as if people didn't see her jewelry enough!"_

" _She could wear a little less."_ Atsuki agreed, standing up from the bench, extending a hand towards her fuming friend, who gladly took it, and used it as support to get up. " _Kenta has a reputation for a reason, Megumi...don't think I'm that blind."_

" _Your problem is that you're too nice, Akko-chan…"_

" _She's just a little full of herself...there's no harm in that,"_ Atsuki answered, as she and her friend began walking back to Atsuki's neighborhood.

" _Ah, sure! What harm!? I'm just crazy here."_ Megumi shook her head. " _Don't encourage her behavior! Brush her off or something!"_

" _For what? The drama? The attention?"_ Atsuki hummed. " _No, thank you. Kenta has an attitude, I'll give you that, but that's how she's always been. Talking back just affords her with ammunition she doesn't need."_


	6. Who Wants to Set Your World On Fire

**AN** : Since I don't plan to update any stories tomorrow, I decided to post this chapter early. Next update will still be out on Friday.

See you later!

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

* * *

 **-6-**

 **Who Wants to Set Your World On Fire**

When Professor Finnelan had been told that something horrible had happened, her reaction was to place both hands over her face, lean over her desk and let out a long, annoyed sigh. Her thoughts mingled about, wondering what Miss Kagari had done this time.

Had she created another monster with the help of that Sucy girl? Had she caused her dorm to explode again? Had she broken something again? Had sheー

"She's in the nurse's office, professor. Ak-Kagari collapsed and the Headmistress is with her in the infirmary. Miss Holbrooke wishes to see you as soon as you are able."

And now, Professor Finnelan was walking as fast as her legs could take her, Professor Ursula Callistis following behind, looking very concerned.

As they walked towards the infirmary, they noticed a few students in groups, gossiping. But, it wasn't the kind of gossip that Finnelan was used to shutting down, but the worried whispers of a scared group of girls, wondering what had happened to one of their classmates.

"She just collapsed!"

"She was choking! Poor, poor Akko…"

Ursula and Finnelan would glance at each other occasionally, trying to decipher, on their own, what had actually happened to young Miss Kagari, to no avail.

A larger group of people, headed by Hannah England and Barbara Parker, where near the entrance of the nurse's office, asking questions to one of the girls that, from what Finnelan could remember, was a volunteer in the infirmary. The girl noticed the two professors immediately and, gently, asked the girls to step aside. Hannah and Barbara looked like they wanted to say something, but decided against it when Finnelan and Ursula stood in front of the group.

"Marian," Finnelan asked the nurse's aide. "What has happened?"

Marian just shook her head sadly, and pointed towards the infirmary doors behind her.

"I don't know, ma'am...I was told to see you inside as soon as possible. Miss Holbrooke is inside with Professor Lukić and Miss Matilda...they'll be able to tell you more." Marian moved to the side to let the two women pass, making sure to keep the curious eyes of her classmates away from infirmary as she quickly closed the door.

The infirmary was one of the biggest rooms in all of Luna Nova. It had a big enough room to house at least twenty patients, plus a small office to the side where the nurse could watch over her patients, eat and sleep. The office was on the corner all the way on the back, separated by four walls made of glass, another wall separating the nurse's quarters and her desk inside, this wall was solid wood, offering the woman in charge some privacy.

It was there that the women spotted the small Headmistress of Luna Nova, talking with both Lukić and Matilda, and on a bed, lying as still as a rock, was Atsuko Kagari.

When Nurse Matilda spotted them, she gestured at them to get into the office as quickly as they could.

"Ah Professor Finnelan, Professor Ursula!" Holbrooke began, smiling sadly.

"Headmistress," Finnelan answered, nodding, sending a look at the girl lying in the bed before them. "...what has happened to Miss Kagari?"

"...death," Lukić said without missing a beat, making the two newcomers blink at their colleague in shock.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Wha-wha-what!?"

"Not quite," Matilda intervened shushing the two women and gesturing towards the sleeping girl. "Miss Kagari is alright...for now. I administered a sedative a couple of minutes ago...figured it would do her good to sleep it off."

"What exactly happened to Miss Kagari?" Finnelan tried again.

"...death." Lukić repeated walking towards Akko, and pushing the bottom of her dress shirt aside to show the women her stomach. She pointed a long, skinny finger at a small cut in the middle. It was dark and spiked all around, as if it had been spreading like fire. "Death appeared to Miss Kagari in the most unusual way...a terrible way…"

"What exactly are we looking at, professor?" Ursula asked, her eyes never leaving the ugly scar on her student's abdomen.

"A distortion, if you want to get technical." Matilda answered, sighing. "This scar is what the old witches called 'Phantom Scars' and they usually appear on a person as he or she is about to be erased from existence."

"What!?"

"Excuse me!?"

"Calm down, calm down, you two," Holbrooke began. "Miss Kagari is out of danger...for now."

"For now," Lukić agreed, gently pulling Akko's shirt back in place. "This little girl is rather lucky. Most of the poor fools that suffer from phantom scars suffer a painful death...bodies that melt, heads that explode, fire, limbs that fall apart one by one as the victim screams in agony..."

"Alright, alright! That's enough," Matilda interrupted, glaring at Lukić. "We got the point."

"But Professor Lukić is not wrong," Holbrooke explained, shaking her head as she patted Akko's hand softly. "Miss Kagari has suffered such a pain...and it is our job to find out why."

"Of course, Headmistress," Finnelan concurred. "But what can we do?"

"Find the source of the pain, for starters," Matilda said. "We know whatever it is, it's coming from the past."

"...the past?" Ursula asked, taking a seat next to the girl's bed. "Are you saying someone is trying to...jeopardize Akko's life by going to the past and…?"

"...changing things?" Lukić finished. "That we do."

"Phantom pains are different from your curses or incantations," Matilda went towards the other side of the small office and returned seconds later with a book on hand, opened on a page with the diagram of a body and a long paragraph to its side. "A phantom pain is not all powerful, but it is still dangerous. A small change in the past can bring great fortune or devastating consequences to the present."

"And someone is messing with time to kill Miss Kagari?" Finnelan asked, her eyes shining dangerously. Ursula glanced towards the older woman, her eyes showing a similar, righteous feeling.

"...Most likely." Lukić nodded. "But Miss Kagari won't be the only one suffering if the pain spreads."

"Yes," Holbrooke replied. "Her family could be in grave danger as we speak…"

"At least one part of it," Matilda muttered, placing a hand on her chin. "Considering what happened to Miss Kagari in the hall, at least from what Miss England and Miss Parker managed to tell us, the girl was choking before she fainted. Usually, the pain would have continued had the past really changed."

"Are you saying whatever changed stop?" Finnelan asked, glancing at the sleeping girl.

"That is right," Lukić replied. "Whoever or whatever changed the past, stopped short of killing the girl. Whether we call it luck or an omen...well...we will not know until we figure out who dared to go to the past in the first place."

"But why would anyone hurt Akko?" Ursula asked, sharing a look with Holbrooke.

"What about that little man from Blytonbury? The one that was stupid enough to release the titan?" Lukić asked.

Holbrooke shook her head. "He is foolish...not cruel. What would he gain from hurting one of the girls that basically saved his life?"

"...maybe whoever it was wasn't targeting Miss Kagari," Matilda pointed out. "The fact they stopped short of outright ending the life of one of her parents or ancestors says much."

"But it doesn't change the fact that someone tried to kill her." Finnelan pointed out.

"True...but it also doesn't tell us the 'why', either," Matilda remarked. "At best, we know someone went to the past and harmed one of Atsuko Kagari's predecessors, and that is all. We don't know what their real goals are or if they plan toー"

"Headmistress!" The door of the infirmary was opened by a haggard and sweaty Professor Nelson, followed by a few other teachers who looked as if they had run a long distance just to get to the infirmary.

Nelson stared at Akko for a few seconds, before she turned towards the Headmistress and said, "There's smoke in one of the classrooms!"

"What?"

Holbrooke quickly left the small office followed by Finnelan and Ursula while Matilda and Lukić stayed behind to keep the unconscious girl company.

"Smoke, you say?" Finnelan asked, making Nelson nod.

"Yeah...one of the girls spotted the fire in a classroom not far from the cafeteria. It looked small from a distance but well...it's not the fire that's really the problem."

"How can a fire not be a problem, Nelson!?"

"There's a high concentration of magic all around the place!" Nelson explained, passing a hand over her sweaty forehead.

"It appears to be a leftover signature of a spell," another professor explained, nodding her head. "A rather recent one, too…"

The three witches stared at each other, wide-eyed, and then, Holbrooke asked, "Has the fire spread?"

"I sent one of the girls to douse the fire, Headmistress," Nelson explained. "We ran as fast as we could to get you. The girls said you were here." She glanced towards Matilda's office and noticed Akko, unconscious and pale. "What's wrong with Kagari?"

"Nothing good," Ursula muttered.

"Nelson," Finnelan began. "Take us to this classroom immediately."

"Alright," Nelson replied, letting out a sigh. It looked like she was going to run again. "This way…"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

The classroom looked relatively fine when Ursula, Finnelan and Nelson arrived.

A few students were around, trying to wave away the smoke that was covering the classroom by opening the windows. One of the girls, a tall girl by the name of Sarah, noticed them and pointed towards a pot, lying in one of the front row desks of the classroom.

"That's the one, professor," the girl told Nelson, as she and her co-workers approached. "Whatever spell they messed up, it started with that cauldron there."

"Thank you, Miss Bernhardt." Finnelan nodded. "Anything else?"

"We found a wand on the desk...and another one on the floor," one of the other girls said, showing the wand to the teachers, while Ursula went to grab the wand that remained at the front row desk.

"Thank you, girls, we'll take it from here." Nelson told them, smiling. "Go take a break."

Sarah and the girls nodded, before quickly leaving the classroom, one of the girls complaining that the smell of smoke had stuck to her uniform.

Once the girls were gone, Finnelan turned towards the pot. "I sense the leftovers of a spell in this."

"A very powerful signature, too," Nelson nodded. "Must be why it caught on fire. In all honesty, I expected Kagari to be behind this...considering her track record."

"It wasn't Akko." Ursula explained shaking her head. "She...fainted."

"Yes...Miss Bernhardt told old Olivia about Kagari's 'fainting spell' before the woman could send someone to get the poor kid. You think our little smoking pot had something to do with Kagari?"

"...Nelson," Finnelan began. "Miss Kagari...almost...died today."

Nelson blinked, eyes widening almost comically before she let out a shuddering sigh. "You are kidding me. What happened?"

"Phantom pains," Ursula told her.

"...oh, by the Nine…"

"Whatever happened here must relate to Miss Kagari," Finnelan explained. "We just need to figure out what." The three women stared at the burnt cauldron, wondering what to do next, when suddenly, Ursula asked,

"...Has anyone seen Lotte and Sucy?"

"What about them?" Nelson asked, confused.

"I didn't see the girls outside of the infirmary when we arrived," the younger professor explained, examining the wand in her hands. "Should we let them know about Akko's condition?"

"...if we find them…" Finnelan whispered before her eyes widen, suddenly realizing what Ursula meant.

"Wait, wait…" Nelson began, giving Ursula an odd look. "Are you saying Akko's teammates are responsible for this?"

"Well, Miss Kagari isn't the only troublemaker in school, that much is a fact." Finnelan pointed out, sighing. "For now, it's just an assumption...it would do us well to find out where they are and ask them."

Ursula nodded, and walked quickly outside the classroom.

A few minutes later, as Nelson and Finnelan were whispering amongst each other, Ursula arrived with another student wearing a violet sash.

The newcomer looked nervously at the two teachers, who were staring at their younger colleague, who placed a hand on the nervous girl's shoulder. "It's alright, Avery. You're not in trouble. Just tell Professors Finnelan and Nelson what you told me."

"Okay...uh…" Avery gulped, before she placed a hand on the back of her head. "I...well, it was right after lunch...a couple of minutes after Kagari fainted…" The girl glanced around the room before continuing her story. "I saw Diana following after Kagari's teammates and the members of the green team...me and the girls, Mary and Blair, noticed Diana standing outside the classroom for a couple of seconds and then, she ran inside…" Avery sighed. "That's when the fire started…but someone outside must have warned Professor Nelson first, because by the time Blair went to get a teacher, they were all crowding in front of the door."

"And you didn't see Miss Cavendish or anyone else leave the room?" Finnelan asked.

"Unless they jumped out the window...no." Avery answered. "With all commotion going about, we thought they had left the room during the confusion," she sighed. "Guess we were wrong. We were going to ask the other girls if they had seen them when Professor Ursula showed up and started asking questions."

"I see, thank you, Miss Williams," Finnelan said, nodding. "You may go."

Avery nodded once more, glanced nervously around the room, and left as quickly as possible. Once she was gone, Nelson let out a low whistle.

"Oh, those girls are in _so_ _much_ trouble…"

"From a certain point of view, yes, yes they are!" Finnelan said, fuming. "And they have even dragged Miss Cavendish into their mess!"

"I don't...I don't think the girls meant to do this…" Ursula began, sounding confused.

"And how do you explain Cavendish following after them?" Nelson asked, scratching her cheek. "Sounds mighty suspicious."

"Unless the girls were in danger," Ursula pointed out, gesturing towards the burnt pot nearby. "Usually time travelling spells don't explode...or cause fires."

"That much is true," Finnelan replied, her anger somewhat sedated. "But it doesn't excuse...whatever it was they were trying to do!"

"Perhaps…"

"And how would we know where those girls landed, anyways?" Nelson questioned, crossing both arms over her chest. "They are in the past...but where?"

"...ah…" Finnelan began, a realization finally striking her in the face. "...I may...I may have an idea."

"You do?" Ursula asked, eyes shining with hope.

"Well, let's hear it!" Nelson said, uncrossing her arms and nodding.

"...a family tree."

"Huh?"

"...It's because of a family tree," Finnelan began, hitting her forehead with a hand. "I should have known…" She turned towards the other professors and said, "In order to prepare for the Mother's day visit, the Headmistress asked me to assign the girls a fun project. I choose to make them do their family tree."

"And this explains this, how?" Nelson asked but Ursula was nodding her head, expression changing from worried to hopeful.

"It makes sense...apparently, everyone was curious about Akko's project," Ursula answered recalling the strange events from the week. "Akko was hard at work with something...I suspect her friends got curious and well...this happened."

"But that doesn't explain the fire and what happened to Kagari," the flight instructor said. "What would have possessed those girls to travel back in time?"

"...An accident, perhaps?"

"Whether it was an accident or not," a new voice said. "We must find those girls, immediately."

The Headmistress stood near the classroom's entrance, accompanied by some of the teachers that had been with Nelson when she arrived at the infirmary.

"Of course, Headmistress," Finnelan nodded, she turned towards the burnt pot and then, to Ursula. "Take the cauldron, Ursula...maybe Professor Lukić can tell us what kind of spell or potion those girls used."

And hopefully, they would be able to bring those girls home.


	7. A Broom for a Princess

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

Hope you enjoy this chapter! And see you next week with another update!

* * *

 **-7-**

 **A Broom for a Princess**

"Uh...hey, what did that Yoko lady mean by 'mess'?"

" _...well...that is…"_

It was close to six in the afternoon as Satoshi and the lost witches were walking back to Atsuki's home.

"Is the show running into some sort of trouble?" Lotte asked, watching, nervously, as Satoshi scratched the side of his head, staring to the side. It was comical how similar both Satoshi's and Akko's expressions were sometimes.

" _Running into a bit of trouble is putting it lightly,"_ he admitted glancing at them briefly before staring at some building nearby. They had stopped near a small plaza encompassed entirely of food stands; there was chicken here, snacks over there and even a pizza place in the corner. In the middle were the tables and chairs, already filled with hungry customers, a few curiously watching the strangers in odd uniforms talking with a young man.

"Generous, how?" Sucy muttered, moving aside as a couple passed by.

"Maybe generous was the wrong word," Satoshi told her, switching back to English. "It's been quite the disaster."

"Disaster?" Diana asked, raising an eyebrow. "How exactly?" The young man crossed both arms over his chest and let out a short, humorless laugh.

"Where should I start? The stage being vandalized? Or that time when someone broke into Atsuki's home?"

"We already know about that last one, though." Sucy remarked, getting a nod from Satoshi.

"But did Atsuki mention what they stole from her house?"

"She made it sound like it wasn't important." Amanda said, putting her hands behind her head.

"They made a mess of her room, for one," Satoshi told them, shaking his head. "They broke picture frames, destroyed a few of her cassettes, some books were torn, and they stole her rhyme book."

"Rhyme book?"

"Well, it's just this simple notebook Atsuki kept. If she had an idea, she'll write a song about it...most of the songs she had written during the year were there...all that hard work, gone."

Jasminka and Amanda shook their heads. Sucy and Constanze stared at each other, a flash of concern in their eyes before staring back at Satoshi. Lotte had her hands clenched into fists while Diana had an arm over her stomach the other hand on her chin, thinking.

"It was only her room that was vandalized?"

"Yeah...they did it in broad daylight, too. Atsuki was visiting her father at the time so the house was empty. Megumi went with her that day. I was busy helping Yukimura-san with the stage...it had been a mess..."

"What do you mean mess?" Lotte asked him, sounding concerned.

"Well," Satoshi started. "The stage had holes everywhere...on the floor, on the walls...the place was a mess when we arrived."

"This...sounds rather suspicious, all things considered." Diana told him, causing the young man to nod.

"Yep. You and me both...Atsuki probably thinks so too, but she's been too depressed to actually care."

"Yeah, we noticed," Sucy said, recalling the day's earlier events. "You already called the cops for this?"

"That's the thing," Satoshi began, glaring at no one in particular. "Yukimura-san has guards there, twenty-four seven. A few policemen as well...and nothing." Amanda raised an eyebrow at that.

"What do ya mean by that?"

"What I mean is that they managed to evade the guards every time. Two days ago, there was this large hole on the stage and no one saw anything."

"That sounds rather unbelievable," Diana said, "How can it be that the guards cannot hear anything?"

"Beats me." Satoshi told her. "It happens fast too, according to them, anyway."

"Is there a chance they could be lying?" Diana tried again but Satoshi shook his head.

"Why would they? Some of those people know Atsuki...they know her father and they respect him. What would they gain by lying?"

"Maybe one of those guys has a grudge," Sucy said, shrugging.

"Even so, doesn't it seem weird that no one has heard anything or seen anything suspicious?" Lotte pointed out. "If this has been going one for some time…"

"They would have been caught by now," Diana finished, closing her eyes. "This...is rather troubling…" The blonde girl opened her eyes and gave Satoshi a determined look. "Would it be possible for us to see the stage?"

"...huh?"

Ah. Akko definitely got her expressions from her father, alright.

"The stage," Diana repeated, smiling. "Perhaps we could fix it with our magic?"

"...you can do that?" Satoshi asked after a minute of thinking it over.

"Yeah, sure...we can," Sucy answered, rolling her eyes. "It's a rather simple spell."

"...huh." Satoshi turned to stare at the sky, noticing that the sun was close to disappearing in the horizon. "Alright, then...but, it might take us a while to get there."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Forty minutes was all it took for Satoshi and the girls to arrive in Sutāgāden Park.

Diana couldn't help but take in the scene with wonder, behind her, her classmates let out murmurs of approval or in Jasminka's case, mentioned "how nice the place looked". And the park was gorgeous.

It didn't remind her of the parks back home. This park had a beautiful view in the main entrance, where visitors could see the whole extent of it just by standing near the gates leading towards the beautiful grass and trees. The trees surrounded the area in a ring, whereupon a small lake was situated in the middle, lily pads and fish swimming about, as the leaves from the trees fell upon the waters, creating an even more beautiful image. At the end of this lake, surrounded by an open area with vans and working lights, was a beautiful amphitheater, with a background of trees of different sizes. Simple, but pretty to look at.

The amphitheater had a small, round roof, covering most of the stage, while the walls on the back of it, were covered by curtains, with a few workers coming from within and out towards the stage. Large, paper lanterns decorated the ceiling, illuminating the stage with colors and figures of stars and other patterns Diana couldn't quite make out.

"Wow." Sucy murmured taking in the sights. "That's...simple and pretty at the same time."

"Wait till you see the holes, I'll bet they'll take your breath away." Satoshi remarked sarcastically.

If Diana was honest with herself, seeing the damage up close, had, in a way, really taken her breath away.

The beautiful stage, once up close, look like a disaster; the walls had been painted recently, and it showed, nothing they could do would fix the black that had been colored within, and the stage's floor fared even worse, wearing wooden bandages as if it had gotten in a fight with a giant cat, with the most noticeable of this marks being a giant, circular hole in the middle.

"What did you fix this with!? Superglue and nine-inch nails?" Amanda cried, stepping over the stage and examining it up closely.

"Tape, too, actually." Satoshi told her with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "What did you expect!? People keep breaking the wood! Of course it's going to look like a mess!" He sighed and pointed at the 'bandages' on the floor. "Always the same place...never another. Those little holes have been fixed...what? Seven times! Whatever they use to break it just smashes into the wood and the nails. Watch your step."

Diana walked around the stage, avoiding the nails that were sticking out of the wood, crudely put together to hold in the planks that hid the holes. She leaned closer to examine the damage, barely making out the strange marks to the side, as if the wood had been hammered repeatedly until it gave away.

" _YO! KAGARI!"_

A shout coming from behind her, made her jump, and with a huff and her dignity still intact, Diana turned to face the newcomers.

They were a small group, maybe seven or eight young man, older than Satoshi by probably five or so years. They wore overalls and small, yellow hard hats.

" _A little too late to be checking the stage, eh boy?"_ the man who had shouted earlier said with a sad smile. " _The wood keeps breaking…"_ he explained, when he noticed Constanze had removed a plank by accident after passing a hand over it.

" _...still no luck with the fixes?"_ Satoshi asked.

" _Those little planks are too damn sensible!"_ the man said, taking his hard hat and fanning himself with it. " _Almost feels like someone's twisting the wood around, make it more delicate than it's supposed to."_

"And he's not wrong," Sucy muttered, tapping a small piece of wood, and watching it break in two. Lotte adjusted her glasses while behind them Satoshi began a conversation with the group of men, distracting them momentarily from what the girls were doing on the stage.

"It almost feels like…"

"...the wood's too difficult to repair, yeah?" Amanda finished, removing a nail with ease from the floor, something that would be a bit difficult, considering it was half-buried. "This wood's like rubber!"

"Doesn't feel like it, though." Jasminka pointed out.

Diana tapped the wood as delicately as she could, and a small crack appeared on it. "Well...that certainly explains their troubles with the repairs." The blonde witch closed her eyes for a moment and then asked, "Can you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Amanda wondered, giving a bewildered look to Diana. "Don't tell me it's an earthquake!"

"No," Lotte began, shaking her head. "It's...it's magic…"

"Yes," Diana nodded, gesturing all around them. "The stage has a spell of some sort...a decomposing incantation, most likely."

"It was badly cast too," Sucy added. "Decomposing spells usually destroy their targets. It's surprising the stage hasn'tー"

"Ack!" Amanda's foot fell through the wood, making the redhead cry out in pain. That caught the attention of the workers, with one of them, and Satoshi, going to the girl's aid, but being beaten by Lotte and Jasminka, who were closer.

"...never mind."

" _That's why you ladies shouldn't be standing on the stage,"_ the older man admonished as one of the girls applied first-aid to Amanda's ankle. " _One of my boys,"_ he began, turning to Satoshi, " _fell all the way to his waist. He was fine though, just a few scratches."_

" _Is that why there's a bigger hole near the center…?"_

" _Didn't really look,"_ the man said with a nervous chuckle. " _I got a call from Yukimura-san. If by tomorrow the stage's still a mess, the show's postponed."_

Diana and the witches shared a look.

"We...we could fix it," Diana said, catching Satoshi's attention.

"Could you?" he asked, making the older man blink, as he stared at the girls.

" _Eh, Kagari? Are these those backup dancers Yukimura-san mentioned?"_ Satoshi just shook his head, and asked again,

"Could you really fix this mess?"

Diana nodded. "Yes. It is a simple thing to do." The Cavendish heir removed her wand from it's sash, and faced the stage.

" _Uh? What's she doing?"_ the man asked, but Satoshi didn't answer. He was watching Diana point the wand at the stage, and breath deeply before crying out,

" _Sosomme...Tiextrilla_!"

Seconds later, the stage began to glow with green energy, nails were flying, wood danced on the broken stage, slamming into it as the nails were hammered into them with an unseen energy. More wood and nails slapped themselves into the stage, covering holes and imperfections, as if they had been puzzle piece, each one fitting perfectly. The glow stopped, and the nails and wood that had not been used floated slowly towards the side, landing upon the stage in an orderly manner; wood planks on the left, nails on the right.

As soon as the spell finished, Sucy sent a spell of her own, tapping the newly reconstructed stage with her wand. A small click was heard, and she nodded at Diana who turned back to the men, whose expressions ranged from bewilderment to surprise.

Satoshi approached the stage slowly, as if noticing, for the first time since the spell ended, that the stage was fixed.

"The holes are gone!" he exclaimed, smiling. "You really fixed it!"

"It...it was nothing," Diana said, but she couldn't really stop the excited young man from grabbing her hand and shaking it wildly.

"Akko-chan's going to be so happy about this! Well...sorta, but you really did fix it!"

" _They...they sure did…"_ the old man said, giving the girls a shocked look. " _You ain't mikos, are ya?"_ The girls shook their heads. " _Onmyoji?"_ Diana was pretty sure she had read something about that last one, but still, she and the others shook their heads. " _...witches, then?"_ At that, the girls nodded. " _Oh! It's been a while since I've seen the work of your kind around here! The sixties were a long time ago, now..."_ He turned to Satoshi and said, " _So long as all this hard work doesn't get destroyed, the show's as good as ready to go tomorrow!"_

"Well, it should be fine," Sucy said. "I applied a protection spell, so it should be fine till the show starts tomorrow."

"Even better!" Satoshi said, smiling brightly. He turned to the old man and shook his hand. " _We'll be leaving the rest in your care, Ryoga-san."_

" _Don't worry, boy...I ain't planning to let that hard work go to waste!"_ He waved at the girls and Satoshi as they left, the young man talking excitedly with the girls as they walked.

As Satoshi and the little witches made their way towards the park's exit, one of the young men in the group, turned to the older man and asked for a break to use the phone. The older man nodded, telling him, " _Hurry up, we still need to get the backstage ready and the chairs!"_

Once he reached a nearby phone booth, the young man quickly entered. He inserted the coins into the phone and dialed a number as fast as he could. The phone was silent for a while, before a voice answered his frantic breaths.

" _What happened?"_

" _We have a problem."_

* * *

Fukuyama Ken's shop had been around ever since Atsuki could remember. Her father would always remember seeing the old Fukuyama sign on that front door, changing with the times. And like his sign, his shop changed with the times as well. One time it was a simple food stand, with fresh vegetables all year round, before one day it changed to a clothes shop and the next Fukuyama was selling antiques and other oddities. As the years passed, and Edogawa (and by extension) Japan grew, Fukuyama settled on a shop-of-all-trades, or rather, a shop that offered a bit of everything. Sweets, snacks, fruits and vegetables, clothes and old antiques were on sale year round.

And while his shop changed, old Ken seemed to be the exception. Even at sixtyーor so he saidーhe still looked young and spry. His hair was still black and that beard that only covered his chin made him seem younger than Satoshi's grandfather.

He was a familiar sight when Atsuki and Megumi entered the shop, squishing through the rows and rows of old suits and dresses, lowering their heads to avoid colliding with a few hanging charms here and there.

Fukuyama smiled at them, tipping his flat hat in greeting. He was, as always, working behind the counter, slamming his hands against his apron to dust them off before placing them in the wooden surface to receive his customers.

" _Good afternoon,"_ he said with a big grin. " _Here for the kimonos, I assume?"_ Atsuki nodded.

" _Yes."_

 _"Alright, I'll get the box! It's in the back!"_ As soon as he said this, Fukuyama moved quickly towards an opened room, disappearing into the darkness. They could hear him struggling to get by the room, catching phrases like _"What's all this junk doing here!?"_

Atsuki tried not to laugh as Megumi rolled her eyes.

Ever since Atsuki began her career as a singer, she had always come to Fukuyama's to get her clothes.

Mamori had been rather incredulous when she learned that Atsuki wanted to get her clothing from some common corner shop, that is, until she had seen Ken's connections. During the shop's time as a textile store, Fukuyama had formed connections with other businesses, from traditional shops to local retail chains, even getting mentioned by a few movie stars here and there. Atsuki's manager also learned to appreciate Ken's efficiency when delivering the clothes at the right time, especially after Atsuki's second show, where the men in charge of the outfits had failed spectacularly, only a call to Fukuyama's shop had stopped the show from being a complete disaster.

Fukuyama was a miracle worker, if nothing else.

" _And here we are!"_

Old Ken was back, on his hands a large box. He placed it on top of the counter, and took out a small knife, ripping the tape apart and opening the box. The older man pushed the opened box towards the two girls, who went to examine its contents.

Megumi let out a loud "Aah!" quickly grabbing the garment inside. She showed the long, marine blue and dark red kimono to Atsuki, quickly placing the clothes over her friend to measure it.

" _Waist is fit! Arms fit! Oh! This color is just...WONDERFUL!"_ Megumi exclaimed, as Atsuki took the kimono and began to extend the sleeves and feel the texture.

" _It's wonderful, alright…"_ Atsuki said, nodding. " _It's as soft as a pillow."_

" _All Harajuku originals."_ Fukuyama told her. " _All the kimonos should fit your dancers...if not, I have a few extra sizes in the back...somewhere...so, if anything should happen on the show tomorrow, just give me a call and the kimonos will get there."_

" _Ah...you don't need to go through all that trouble, Fukuyama-san…"_ Atsuki said, but the old man just shook his head.

" _It's fine, kiddo! Mamori-chan already paid for the service and the clothes."_

" _...she did!?"_

" _Yeah! Came a day ago, actually! Pretty efficient woman!"_

" _...I can't believe it…"_ Atsuki began, only to be cut off by an excited Megumi beside her who had taken out another kimono, white and blues, and was hugging it close.

" _I can't believe how soft this cloth is!"_

Atsuki stared at her friend with a look of amusement, before folding the kimono as best as she could and giving the garment to Fukuyama who placed the clothes back inside the box.

" _I can't believe she went through all this trouble…"_

" _Hey, she's your agent, right? That's her job!"_ Megumi told her, finally letting go of the kimono and folding it before placing it in Fukuyama's hands. " _Besides, this is your last show! Why wouldn't she help you?"_

Fukuyama nodded. " _Agreed!"_

Atsuki just sighed, wondering if she should pay or not, and then, she was reminded of a little boy that lived next door.

" _Fukuyama-san...do you have some mochi?"_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"THEY FIXED THE STAGE!?"

When Atsuki and Megumi had gone back to the Kurosawa residence (after stopping by the Takedas to deliver Go's mochi), they had met up with Satoshi and the girls, outside of the house. Once inside, Satoshi excitedly related to them what had happened in the park, making Megumi jump with shock and excitement.

"You did?" Atsuki asked, eyes widening. "Uh...how...wait, don't answer that. I'm being stupid." She let out a small laugh, smiling. "I can't believe you girls went through all that trouble." Diana just shook her head.

"It was nothing."

"Yeah! Repairing spells are easy!" Amanda told her with a grin. "Besides, you have a genius here!" She patted Diana's shoulder and muttered to Jasminka and Constanze, "...never thought I will say that out loud…!"

"It was nothing, really," Diana said, feeling a little too proud of herself for something so simple.

"I still appreciate it, though, simple or not," Atsuki began. "To celebrate, how about some food? I bet you girls are starving!"

"Oh, yes, please!" Jasminka said, nodding as Constanze sent her a thumbs up to indicate her approval at the suggestion.

While Megumi and Satoshi began arguing over what food to order, Atsuki motioned for Diana, Lotte, Sucy and Amanda to follow her, leaving Constanze and Jasminka behind, the latter who was chiming in questions about the foods of Japan.

Stopping in the middle of the small hallway, Atsuki asked, "The park is rather pretty, isn't it?"

"Oh! It was beautiful!" Lotte remarked, smiling.

"Better looking than some parks back in the States, too." Amanda said, shrugging. "But I bet that wasn't why you're asking, right?"

"The stage was a mess," Atsuki began with a shake of her head.

"It looked like someone had a fight there...with a lot of hammers and nails." Sucy pointed out. "Did you know someone was using magic on your stage?"

"Huh?"

"Someone placed a spell on the stage." Diana explained, nodding Sucy's way. "The spell was poorly cast and the effects were not noticeable. Perhaps whoever cast this spell, used another one to wreak havoc on the stage when he or she noticed the spell hadn't worked as intended."

"Wait, wait...are you saying there's a another witch going around and placing...bad spells on stages?" Atsuki asked after a moment.

Sucy shrugged."That's our best guess."

"At the moment..." Diana added. "Are you…?"

"If you're asking if I have met any witches, minus you girls, no." Atsuki told her. "And if I offended one, well...how would I have known?"

"Maybe we should have asked that Yoko lady," Amanda pointed out. "She _did_ cast that translation spell on us and all that…"

"Oh, Yoko-san?" Atsuki just shrugged her shoulders. "She's good but I figured even she thought it was vandals and not ruffians wielding magic." The girl hummed, moving her head from side to side. "Hmm…"

"You know something," Diana said, watching Atsuki's expression change.

"I'm figuring that someone's trying to sabotage my show," the girl explained, letting out a loud sigh. "It wasn't as obvious before...there's people out there that enjoy causing mischief. One day it was a phone booth in Shibuya and then on a train station in Kyoto. I figured I just got unlucky. And then it happened again. And again. I was already suspicious after the second one, the third one just confirmed my suspicions." Atsuki stared at a door nearby. "And then, they broke into my home."

"And stole your notebook…yeah, Satoshi told us about that," Lotte told her. Atsuki smiled thinly.

"Yep."

"Seems connected," Amanda told her. Atsuki nodded.

"And I bet you haven't heard of the backup dancers and singers that left us in the dust, eh?" she asked, sounding amused more than annoyed. "That was before the stage suffered."

"You believe that's connected as well?" Diana asked.

"Maybe it is." Atsuki began, crossing both arms over her chest, "Maybe they got a better deal and left. I couldn't possibly blame them for that. Except, here's the thing...we had been working for a few weeks together before they left us hanging. They knew the steps, the lyrics, the clothes had already been measured and the orders sent...everything. We got careless and waited too long for them to sign the contracts, I will admit, but to suddenly call the next day and give us a hasty good-bye and good luck feels...strange." Atsuki glared at no one in particular as she continued. "Days later, the stage is vandalized and someone breaks into my home. I just thought it was my bad luck working but even I know my luck is not this bad."

"Unless whoever is behind the sabotage hired the witch," Sucy pointed out, making Atsuki nod.

"I figured. But it's rare to see Japanese witches in the mainland," Atsuki told them, her expression turning passive. "Mikos usually take care of anything magic related...but it's so rare this days for them to do so…the mikos would have a better idea than I do, anyway."

"Maybe we should go and ask Yoko about it," Lotte suggested, only for Atsuki to shake her head.

"Tomorrow...it's already late."

"But…"

"I know you are worried about this…" Atsuki began, giving them that sad smile. "But you're already done enough...considering your situation," she began walking back to the living room, Satoshi and Megumi finally finding common ground and ordering some takeout, "You shouldn't be meddling too much here, after all who knows what could happen?"

* * *

When the little witches woke up early the next day, they found Megumi and Satoshi cooking in the kitchen, along with Jasminka and Lotte, who were setting the table.

"Where's Atsuki?" Diana asked, as she helped Lotte with the plates, while Sucy, Amanda and Constanze sat on the couches.

"Oh, she left to get some umeboshi." Satoshi explained, finishing the eggs and placing them in different colored plates. "It's kinda like apricot candy."

"Ah…"

"You foreigners call them pickled plums, if I'm not mistaken," he explained, making Sucy and Lotte share a look. Akko's favorite food. Who would have thought it would be her mother's too?

" _I don't even know why she has to go to that store in the middle of Edogawa to get it!"_ Megumi complained, as she began to fill a few bowls with rice.

"Because that's the only place she knows that sells umeboshi straight from Wakayama. And besides, they are good."

" _They're too salty!"_ Megumi told him, passing the bowls to Jasminka, who began placing them on the table. " _Bleh! How can she stand them!?"_

"How can you not?" Satoshi asked, placing the final egg into the last plate. "Besides it's not so bad once youー"

" _ **KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"**_

Everyone jump when they heard the loud scream, the girls scrambling to stop the plates from falling. They all stared at each other, before Lotte whispered, "Akko…" and ran off, followed closely behind by Sucy and Diana, and the rest of the green team, with Satoshi and Megumi in the rear.

Once they got outside, they noticed that a few of the neighbors were in their yards, looking all over the place, trying to find the source of the scream. An old man, two houses away was pointing towards the back of his house.

" _Heard it from the old alley,"_ he said, shaking his fist. " _Darn those kids, could have given me an attack!"_

"This way!" Satoshi yelled, running past the little witches and Megumi and taking a left turn. "There's an alley over here!"

Taking a turn, they followed Satoshi towards the alley, a few neighbors watching them curiously as they passed by. Once they arrived to the alley, they were greeted by a strange sight.

First, they noticed the plastic bags, once a pristine white, colored a liquid red, with glass ripping holes into them. Whatever had broken, had spilled all over the street, and made a mess of things.

And then, they saw the broom.

It was an ordinary looking broom, a bamboo handle colored brown, with a similar colored straw head.

Except, the broom was moving. It was shaking about as if trying to stand up, shaking and twisting all over. The broom curled a bit, as if frustrated, then continued to shake and shake until it 'turned' to face them. And then, it let out a loud sigh, and in an all too familiar voice said, " _ **...I was wrong...my luck really is this bad."**_

"ATSUKI!?"


	8. The Tragic Tale of Umeboshi

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

* * *

 **-8-**

 **The Tragic Tale of Umeboshi**

Atsuki really should have expected something bad to happen the moment she realized her morning was going so well.

She remembers getting up early and feeling quite refreshed. She remembers meeting Satoshi in the kitchen, getting ready to make breakfast for everyone with a little help from one of the little witches, Jasminka. She remembers the long call she made to her agent, informing her of what was happening on her side of things. She made sure not to tell Mamori about the whole mess with the stage, figuring she wouldn't really know what to do about that but she just told the older woman to remain vigilant. Not that she needed to tell Yukimura Mamori that. The woman was too serious for her own good sometimes but she got results. Mamori mentioned finding volunteers to fill up the roles of the backup dancers and singers. That was a plus in Atsuki's book. She asked Mamori for their names to thank them personally after the show was over.

As for the mess with the stage and that 'mysterious witch', Atsuki decided that she was going to see Yoko about it. While she figured the girls, especially Diana, were knowledgeable enough about magic and spells, Atsuki didn't want to give them extra work, considering their strange circumstances. If a witch was really going around making mischief, the mikos needed to be informed, as well as the police, but she wasn't sure if they'll be much help on that scenario. If that same witch had managed to get into her room and make a mess of it and steal her notebook without leaving enough evidence, then the police would really not have anything to go on. And she knew how long those things could take. Her father complained about them enough for her to get a clear picture of it all.

Maybe she should have suspected her day would go wrong when a pair of young men began to follow her around while she was in the shop hunting for umeboshi.

It had started innocently enough. Some people recognized her and greeted her, a few fans waving shyly towards Atsuki before the latter started small conversations with them as thanks.

Thirty minutes later, she arrived at the store and that's when she noticed them.

They were two; one was a rather short boy and the other a little taller and chubbier than his companion. She had spotted them near the produce section, taking glances at her once or twice. She didn't think nothing of them for a while. It wouldn't be the first time boys tried to talk to her. It happened at school as she got older, and even more when she started to sing.

But then, they began to follow her around, pretending to be looking at something else when Atsuki sent them inquisitive looks once or twice. By the time Atsuki found the right flavors of umeboshi, she spotted the boys still there, behind her, pretending to look at the food around them instead of her.

And then, they followed her outside. They kept their distance, she'll give them that much but it was obvious they had never done this before, as they were making themselves too obvious.

If Atsuki turned a corner, she would catch them just barely stopping before they walked after her again. Even when she was waiting to cross the street, she noticed them, a few paces behind her, watching, waiting.

Atsuki pretended not to notice them, figuring they'll leave themselves open if she did. And she was right. As soon as she began to stop near shops, pretending that nothing mattered in the world, she heard them talking. Her ears caught the words, 'her', 'princess' and 'before the show' in between all their mumbling. It seemed the portly boy was having second thoughts about what he was doing, because his voice would take an almost guilty tone before shorty brushed him off and said it was 'important'. She would have been able to catch more of their conversation if the background noise hadn't been so high, even this early in the morning.

After that, Atsuki moved as quickly as she could back home, taking different paths towards her house to avoid them.

It seems they may have caught on that she knew they were there after a while, and resorting to running after her.

And then, she ran into the alley behind her house. She figured if those two tried something, they would do it here.

If they were perverts, she would make sure they wouldn't be able to procreate. If they were someone else, well, Atsuki would make sure they wouldn't cause trouble at all.

Perhaps it had been her sense of justice that had done her in. Perhaps it was a part of her that figured she could talk some sense in her stalkers' heads and everything would be fine. Or perhaps, it was curiosity that drove her to face the two boys behind her, a hand on her hip and a glare on her eyes.

" _Do you need something?"_

The question had petrified the boys, as if they had not expected some nobody singer to ask them that. They had stared at each other, before slowly approaching her. Atsuki didn't move, never letting her eyes leave the two boys in front of her.

And then, they started to get nervous, not knowing how to react to a girl that wasn't backing down, not expecting her to try and challenge them.

But, they still kept approaching, splitting up so the chubby boy was at her left and shorty was at her right, coming slower now, raising their fists, getting defensive.

Atsuki hadn't remembered the look she gave them when she noticed them ready to fight. Didn't really care about the shocked looks they sent her way when she let out a furious kick that got shorty on the side of the stomach. His friend hadn't expected that and had gone straight on the defensive, trying to hit her without rhythm or control. But Atsuki dodged his clumsy punches, and sent one of her own straight at the boy's nose.

As the portly boy took care of his nose (and blood), the other one recovered and tried to tackle her to the ground, but Atsuki just used him as a table, raising herself over him with her hand, and sliding on his back, and kicking him behind her before he realized what was happening. He plummeted down, almost crashing against the brick wall, but all that movement and Atsuki's quick maneuvers had not saved the umeboshi from falling from her hands.

The once, delicious looking umeboshi, now lay broken in tiny little shards of glass, red liquid and sweets. The plastic bag was splashed with red, as if to signify the horrible act that had taken place.

Perhaps Atsuki should have been paying more attention after that. But, seeing those delicious umeboshi just lying there, their goodness spread all over the concrete for the world to see...it was just so...so horrifying.

But it wouldn't be as terrifying as what happened to her next.

The blow had felt like a tiny needle fired straight into her back. She let out a wince, as the pain disappeared in an instant, but in that instant everything felt _wrong_. She remembered falling to her knees. She remembered something happening to her. She remembered hitting the floor, not even bothering to use her hands to hold her up, but then, she remembered using them. Remembered that something kept her from falling for a second before she hit the floor. Her head had hurt, but by then, everything seemed tingly, unnatural, weird. She hadn't seen her arms or legs disappear, but it seemed shorty had, for he was facing her, pointing at her and yelling at someone behind her and asking, " _Wh-what is that!? What...what did you do!? What's happening!?"_

" _I...I...I...don't...I...I didn't…! No! Stop!"_

" _Come on, come on! Let's get out of here!"_

By the time she realized she had no limbs, no head, and no nothing, Atsuki had finally noticed her new appearance, and she let out a scream of her own as her attackers fled.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Megumi and Satoshi were by Atsuki's side almost immediately, the former quickly grabbing the twitching broom as delicately as she could. Megumi was shaking like a leaf as she held her friend. " _Oh my god! Oh my god!"_

" _ **Megumi...listen…"**_ the broom began, but Megumi wasn't listening. She was hyperventilating, the tears were falling from her eyes and all in all, she looked absolutely miserable.

"Calm down." Sucy said from behind her, as the shock passed from her end. "We can fix her." Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, Megumi turned to stare at the girls behind her, spooking them, even Sucy, into stepping a back at her intense glare.

" _...YOU!"_ Megumi cried out. " _IS THIS YOUR DOING!?"_

" _ **Megumi!?"**_

"What!? What the heck are you talking about?" Amanda yelled back, getting defensive. "We were with you! How could weー" But Megumi wasn't listening. She quickly passed the girl-turned-broom to Satoshi, and stood up, before marching fiercely towards the girls. Satoshi moved faster, putting himself and Atsuki, in front of the little witches before it could get violent.

" _Why wouldn't you be involved!? You're witches! Is this a prank!? Is this a joke!? Get out of the way, Useless Kagari!"_

" _Megumi!"_ Satoshi replied, trying to hold her by the shoulders with one but struggling with holding Atsuki with the other. " _Why would they do this?"_

" _Are you telling me you don't find it the least bit suspicious that this happened? They can use magic! They have used magic in front of us! And then, this happens! Satoshi, Atsuki is a broom. A BROOM!"_

"I...I assure you…" Diana said, only to be brushed off by a stare from Megumi, who had quickly pushed Satsohi aside. She was about to jump at Diana, but Satsohi jumped between them, intercepting the angry teenager a second time.

" _Megumi, that's enough!"_

" _How do we know they didn't do it!? How can we_ _ー_ _OW!"_

" _ **Stop it!"**_ A quick whack in the face from Atsuki was all it took for Megumi to back off. The girl massaged her forehead as she stared at Atsuki, crying again, as if completely forgetting what had happened earlier.

" _Oh...Atsuki…"_

" _ **...it's okay, Megumi...don't cry."**_

" _But you're a broom!"_

" _ **Thank you for noticing…"**_ the girl-turned-broom commented dryly, as Megumi began to glare at her.

" _...you didn't have to hit me so hard…"_

" _ **You deserved it."**_ Atsuki 'turned' to face the girls, shaking a bit, from left to right, as if she had been shaking her head. " _ **Please forgive Megumi...she has a bad habit of jumping to conclusions."**_ The broom tried to turn to face Megumi and said, " _ **Megumi, please apologize."**_

" _Not until you tell us what happened!"_ Megumi cried out. " _What happened? Who did this to you!?"_

"Could it be that same person that did that stage in…?" Amanda asked, but Megumi was shaking her head, as she continued to massage her forehead.

" _What's that you're saying? How could some nobody thug be able to use magic?"_

" _Because apparently someone did use magic,"_ Satoshi explained, letting out a sigh. " _Remember how the stage was so difficult to fix? That's why. The girls found out that someone had used magic on it."_ Megumi just stared at him, her forehead forgotten as the information sank in.

" _...you're kidding me."_

"No," Diana answered, shaking her head. "We believe a wayward witch is behind this and is working to sabotage Atsuki's show." Megumi just stared at her.

" _...what…?"_

" _ **It's true,"**_ Atsuki explained. " _ **We already kinda suspected that something was going on. What the girls told me about the stage just confirmed it."**_ Atsuki let out a sigh, and seemingly turning to face Lotte, she said, " _ **Maybe I should have taken your advice...if I had, I probably wouldn't be in this predicament."**_

"Please, do not worry about that," Diana said, smiling softly. "As Sucy mentioned, we could easily fix this."

" _Really!?"_ Megumi jumped in front of Diana's face and began to shake her by the shoulders. " _What are you waiting for!? Do it! Do it!"_

"I-if you would just let me go, please, I will gladly do so."

"But not here," Sucy said, pointing behind them. They could barely see a few of the neighbors approaching. "I get the feeling people are coming this way to ask what's been going on."

" _ **Let's go then,"**_ Atsuki said, lightly tapping Satoshi's head. " _ **Back home, it is."**_

Satoshi nodded, taking Atsuki gingerly in his arms and walking straight to Atsuki's house, not before telling the neighbors some lie of a girl being scared by a cat. The neighbors grumbled and frowned but let them go back to Atsuki's.

Once inside her house, Satoshi quickly set Atsuki on her couch, before backing away as Diana took out her wand and pointed it at the broom.

"Alright…" the blonde witch began, nodding. She closed her eyes, and began to whisper words, her wand glowed, as did Atsuki's form, and then...nothing. The glow disappeared after a few seconds, making everyone around them blink.

Amanda turned to stare at the equally confused Cavendish and asked, "Uh...what just happened?"

"Nothing, by the looks of it," Sucy responded, watching as Diana let out a shaky breath and cast the spell again. And again. And again, but still, Atsuki remained a broom.

"What...what is the meaning of this…?" Diana asked, looking at her wand in disbelief. "That...that should have worked."

"Maybe you're running out of magic?" Lotte suggested, but Diana just showed her the magatama. It was glowing with magical energy. "Why don't you let Sucy give it a try?" Sucy nodded, and taking out her wand, repeated the spell under her breath. Her wand glowed, Atsuki as well, and then...nothing.

"Uh...did...did your magic stop working?" Satoshi asked.

Sucy shrugged as a response and tried again.

...nothing.

"Huh."

" _What do you mean by 'huh'!?"_ Megumi cried out. " _What's going on!?"_

"This thing...it's not your typical transformation spell…" Sucy said, putting her wand back in her sash and quickly taking out the magatama that Yoko had given her. Like Diana's, it still glowed green with magical power. "It can't be us. This thing still has juice."

"Perhaps it's a spell that requires a particular choice of words," Diana began, trying not to sound frustrated.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Amanda cried, giving Diana a look. "How can some witch that fails at simple decomposing spells be an expert in transformation spells!? Why is this one different?"

" _ **Maybe that was the intention all along, "**_ Atsuki suddenly said, shaking slightly in her place on the couch. " _ **It's possible that thing with the stage was planned to look that way. Not too obvious, not too plain, so to speak."**_ Everyone turned to face the girl-turned-broom, a small look of surprise on their faces. " _ **You told Satoshi that they used some sort of...elimination spell or something, right?"**_

"Yes…" Diana answered. "A decomposing spell. It's a simple spell, mostly used for cleaning or…"

"...disposal of bodies." Sucy finished.

"Yes...that...that is correct, as morbid as it sounds."

" _ **...Alright. So...what if that was the intention all along? A badly cast spell created a different effect, didn't it? Perhaps it was a mistake on their part but it still did something."**_

"But the effect was just slowed down, though," Sucy pointed out. "Why even fail the spell in the first place if you were just going to wreck the stage anyway?"

" _ **Probably because a missing stage would be ten times more noticeable than one with holes and nails sticking all over the place."**_ Atsuki turned to face Diana and asked, " _ **What is a decomposing spell suppose to do?"**_

Diana nodded, immediately understanding what Atsuki was getting at. "If the area was being guarded before and they saw the stage...decomposing, as it were, they wouldn't have just called the police…"

" _ **Exactly!"**_ Atsuki cried out, shaking in an effort to stand up straight. " _ **It wouldn't just be the police that would be involved. The mikos and monks from the local temples would be all over the place if the stage had vanished into thin air. And if you found magic lingering around like some sort of scent, so would they. It's also possible they might have found a way to track it to its source."**_

"Perhaps…" Diana agreed. "If the spell had worked as intended, it would have caused our wayward witch a lot of trouble. But if the spell was intentionally cast in such a way where it didn't decompose the stage but make it very vulnerable, it would be reasonable to believe that they wanted you to think it was some hooligan looking to cause trouble and not a witch."

"But why go and use a spell like that, though?" Lotte wondered. "Wouldn't whoever is doing this run a risk?"

" _ **It does sound like it, doesn't it?"**_ Atsuki began, shaking slightly. " _ **But then again, we wouldn't have figured it out if it hadn't been for you girls so maybe the risk wasn't the problem here."**_

"Is it even the same person at this point?" Amanda asked, sounding confused.

" _ **I'm pretty sure that the person that turned me into a broom was a young man...a little close to my age. Older. Big-boned."**_ Atsuki informed them. " _ **He and his friend followed me around but they couldn't be less obvious even if they tried."**_ Satoshi gave the broom a shocked look.

" _WHAT!? They followed you!?"_

" _ **Yep."**_ Atsuki said, ignoring Satoshi's outburst. " _ **I'm surprised no one else noticed though, those kids were that bad. But maybe, I shouldn't be surprised that no one noticed."**_

" _Really, Atsuki?"_ Megumi asked, raising an eyebrow, while Satoshi was practically boiling next to her.

" _I'll kill them!"_

" _ **Please, no murder...we have enough problems as it is,"**_ Atsuki said gently. Satoshi just grumbled in annoyance and glared to the side. To the girls she said, " _ **I believe they turned me into a broom as a last resort...they did start a fight with me after all…"**_

" _WHAT!?"_ Satoshi looked absolutely furious.

" _ **I guess it wasn't much of a fight. It seemed more like a game of tag. I kicked one and punched the other in the face."**_

"...Cool," Amanda replied, looking amused as Satoshi let out a growl.

" _ **Either that...or…"**_ the girl-turned-broom shook a bit as she went on, " _ **...they figured that with the stage fixed they had to do something to get rid of me."**_

Lotte let out a loud gasp, as Amanda and Sucy exchanged glances. Diana, for her part, placed a hand over her face before letting out a frustrated sigh. Jasminka and Constanze had their mouths open in shock. Satoshi stopped his growling and shook his head along with Megumi.

"...we...we did this…" Diana began, suddenly realizing what her actions had let to. Atsuki began to jump about, shaking herself from left to right.

" _ **No! No! You didn't do this!"**_ Atsuki told them. " _ **This wasn't your fault! What happened to me was...well, something, true, but it wasn't your fault. Believe me. I do feel it's my fault for not taking your advice and seeing Yoko about this whole mess in the first place."**_

" _Wait a minute! That's it!"_ Megumi cried, facing the little witches. " _We should see Senju-san! You said she gave you those magatamas right? Maybe she can fix this!"_ Diana nodded, looking determined.

"Let us go, then...if anyone can help it will be Miss Yoko."

"Hopefully." Sucy muttered, as Megumi grabbed Atsuki and began to march out the door.


	9. Singing Broom

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

* * *

 **-9-**

 **Singing Broom**

When Satoshi and the girls arrived at the temple some time later, they were surprised to see a group of young women crowded around the small shop. The group was small, maybe eight or ten girls in total.

At least half of them wore the traditional miko attire, a red hakama and the white haori, while the other half wore more casual clothes, like jeans, t-shirts, dress shirts and skirts. They all seemed to be talking around, a few of them carrying boxes and other trinkets from inside the shop while a pair of miko, one in formal attire and one wearing a skirt and long sleeve shirt, cleaned up the entrance of the shop with brooms. One of the girls even had a hammer and some tape, and seemed to be fixing something as the girls worked, as a pair of girls walked inside the shop, coming back seconds later with boxes and bags.

"Uh...what's going on?" Amanda asked. "Are...are they closing up shop?"

" _That can't be it."_ Satoshi murmured, shaking his head. Atsuki seemed to agree with him, as she shook in his hands, as if trying to nod her invisible head in agreement.

" _ **The shop usually closes around the time that classes start again and that won't be until a few weeks from now,"**_ Atsuki explained to the little witches. " _ **If anything, I'll say they are cleaning the shop or moving the merchandise around from the looks of those boxes."**_

"It's a rather large group for whatever they are doing…" Sucy pointed out, staring at the girl with a hammer and the adhesive tape in her hands. "Something must have happened."

" _How about we ask then?"_ Megumi asked, taking a step forward, followed closely behind by Satoshi and Atsuki, with the others following behind.

Before they could get closer, one of the miko, a young girl of approximately twelve or thirteen, intercepted them before they could advance further, extending a hand before gesturing towards the shop with another.

" _We apologize!"_ the girl began, bowing to the group. " _But the shop is closed for the day!"_ The group glanced at each other in surprise, before Satoshi asked,

" _Huh? Uh...why is that?"_

Another girl appeared from behind the young miko. She was taller than the little girl, and was wearing casual clothes unlike her companion who wore the ceremonial attire. The newcomer patted the tinier girl in the shoulder and with her thumb, pointed behind her. " _Someone broke into the shop last night. Made a mess of things."_

" _Someone broke in!?"_ Megumi repeated with a gasp. Diana and Satoshi shared glances with each other, before the taller girl spoke again.

" _That they did, miss...we just found about it like an hour ago. The girl in charge of the shop for the day had to leave to inform our head priestess about the incident."_

" _...wait, wait...Yoko-san isn't here?"_ Megumi interrupted. The taller girl shook her head.

" _Nah, Senju-san wasn't in charge of the shop today."_

" _But she was here early in the morning, before being called by the great Kato-sama on a matter of great importance...Mizaki-senpai was in charge today,"_ the little girl explained.

" _Oh...uh...eh...I see,"_ Satoshi said, glancing at the broom in his hands. Atsuki shook, encouraging him to continue. " _...umm...you see, we...we need help."_

" _Oh? Help with what?"_ the young girl asked, sounding genuinely worried only for the taller girl to shake her head.

" _If it's a magical matter, I'm afraid you're out of luck."_ Satoshi and Megumi gaped at her. Diana closed her eyes slowly as Amanda massaged her temples and groaned behind her, while Lotte clenched her fists and Jasminka and Constanze looked worried. Sucy just gave the girl a frown.

" _Huh!?"_

" _Don't misunderstand,"_ the taller girl quickly amended. " _All the girls you see around here do not practice magic or spirit channeling or anything of the sort...most of them, like myself, are volunteers that work in the shrine,"_ she pointed towards the main temple.

" _Mizuki-senpai was in charge of the shop while Yoko-senpai was away,"_ the little girl explained, taking over from her fellow maiden. " _She would have been able to help you if she hadn't gone to inform the other miko of what had happened here."_

" _If only that phone pole was still standing. Mizuki would have just called them but nooo...that Aka-oni crashes right into it...I mean, really...there's like hundreds of trees out there and he crashes into the freakin' telephone pole…"_ the taller girl mumbled, getting looks of alarm from Megumi and Satoshi, as the little witches glanced at each other in obvious confusion.

"What's an aka-oni?" Jasminka asked curiously.

Atsuki answered. " _ **I believe the appropriate translation is 'red ogre'."**_ Upon hearing the new voice, the two girls before them tilted their heads, with the taller girl narrowing her eyes, trying to find the mysterious speaker. Her younger companion started looking around, pointing curiously at the witches behind Megumi and Satoshi, silently asking them if they had spoken.

" _Huh? Who was that?"_ the young miko asked.

Satoshi laughed nervously. " _Well...that is…"_

" _ **You get a lot of oni crashing into telephone poles around here?"**_ Atsuki spoke again, making the miko take a step back. " _ **I don't know whether to be impressed or concerned. Those big fellas are not the nicest of yokai, after all...are you sure it didn't crash into the pole on purpose?"**_

" _Okay...which one of you is talking?"_ the taller girl interrupted, sounding annoyed. Atsuki gave a gentle laugh as her answer.

" _ **Oh! I'm sorry!"**_ the girl-turned-broom replied, making the two miko turn to Satoshi and then, slowly, stare at the broom he held in his hands. It shook, lightly tapping the ground with it's straw head. " _ **The name's Kurosawa Atsuki."**_ The younger miko leaned forward towards the broom and gently, gave it poke. " _ **I don't bite. I assure you."**_

The miko let out a gasp and clasped both hands over her chest. " _Oh! The broom! The broom talked!"_

" _What the heck!?"_ the taller girl cried out, getting the attention of the other miko working nearby.

" _That's actually why we came to see Yoko…"_

" _Oi! What's going on over there!?"_

One of the miko, an young woman with a broom in her hands, stared back at the group, annoyed. " _Sakura! Ichigo!"_ the young woman yelled. " _I thought I told you two to tell the visitors that we are closed for the day!"_

" _We already did, Ruka!"_ the taller girl grumbled back. " _They came here to see Yoko!"_

" _Well, she's not in! Did you already tell them that?"_

" _L-look! Just come here!" the taller girl told her, shaking her head. She turned to the small group and nodded. "Ruka-senpai is a little moody because of the whole thing with the shop...but she might be able to help you."_

" _...would she able to help Akko-chan?"_ Megumi asked, but the girl just shrugged as Ruka appeared before them.

" _What seems to be the problem?"_

" _ **I am."**_ Atsuki replied, making Ruka dart her eyes from left to right, trying to pinpoint where the voice came from.

" _...who...was that?"_ The younger miko grabbed unto Ruka's hakama and gentle pulled, grabbing the older girl's attention. Ruka stared at the little girl as she pointed towards Satoshi and said,

" _It's the broom!"_

" _...the what?"_

" _The broom!"_ the two miko replied, making Ruka stare at the group in confusion.

" _What about the broom?"_

" _Look…"_ Satoshi began, only to be interrupted by Megumi, who put her face up close to Ruka's. Ruka took a step back in surprise.

" _Please! You gotta help us! Well, Akko-chan! Look at her! Look! She's a broom!"_ As if to prove the point, Megumi took Atsuki from Satoshi's hands and showed the girl-turned-broom to the miko in front of her.

" _...is a spirit possessing this broom…?"_ Ruka asked. Satoshi pouted as Atsuki let out a nervous laugh.

" _Hey! She's not dead!"_

" _ **No...not yet, anyway...No, no...I'm feeling just a little too thin and a little too...well, wooden."**_ As if realizing the broom was actually speaking, Ruka took a step back.

" _It's talking!"_

" _That's what we've been telling you!"_ the little miko pouted.

" _How did this happen?"_ Ruka asked, gathering her bearings.

" _ **...Magic, I think...I wasn't really looking when that boy turned me into this."**_ Ruka looked thoughtful at that remark.

" _...a boy…?"_

" _ **Yes."**_

" _...there's no wizards in Japan."_ the taller girl mumbled, getting a nod from Ruka.

The young woman shook her head and turning towards Satoshi and Megumi said, " _I'm afraid I won't be of much use to you in this situation,"_ Ruka spoke softly, as Megumi let out a disappointed sigh. " _If I had something for you, I would give it to you in an instant but I'm no expert. The girls you see here do not practice magic or the equivalent, myself included."_ She turned and gestured towards the shop. " _The little vandals destroyed most of the merchandise...if I truly had something to help you, it's been destroyed. Had Honda-san not left to inform the other miko about that mess, she would have helped you."_

" _Mizuki-senpai takes care of things when Yoko-senpai is not around,"_ the younger miko explained with a nod.

" _Indeed,"_ Ruka went on, as she placed a hand on her hip and stared at Atsuki. " _The best advice I can give to you is to wait. Honda-san just left an hour ago and she'll be back before noon. She can help you then."_

" _ **Oh...I suppose we can do that…"**_ Atsuki replied, shaking slightly.

" _Or I can take my bike and inform them,"_ the taller girl replied with a grin as Ruka and the younger girl stared at her in confusion. " _Think about it. If Mizuki was held back because of that thing Kato-sama wanted to talk about, it's going to take far longer than noon."_ She turned to stare at the group. " _The main shrine is located deep within the Urashima Forest, but the forest is protected by a powerful enchantment...whoever enters without permission becomes trapped."_

" _The priestess in charge is usually in charge of inviting visitors to the main shrine...but she left with Senju-san this morning. Had she been here, you would have gladly been allowed past the forest of Urashima."_ Ruka explained, only for the taller girl to let out a snort.

" _That is if you wanted to walk for two hours...even without the magic of the forest taking effect, the temple is pretty far off from here."_

"That's pretty convenient," Amanda murmured to Diana, who nodded.

"Just like Arcturus…"

" _My bike will probably save me some time and then we'll definitely be back by noon!"_

" _But aren't you and the other girls helping in some event today?"_ Ruka asked. " _What if you don't make it on time?"_

" _Nah, it's fine,"_ the taller girl said, brushing off the worries. " _The thing doesn't even start until eight, anyway...and that lady wants us there by five, so I got plenty of time."_ The girl nodded once more, and waving at the group, quickly ran to get her bike. Seconds later, the girl and the bike, ran past, passing through the red gate, before disappearing.

As they watched the girl leave, Ruka turned to the group and said, " _Why don't you go back home? Even with Ichigo on her bike, it will take her some time before she comes back. Once they arrive, I will let Honda-san know immediately of your situation and tell her to meet you at your home as soon as possible."_

" _ **Yes...that will be great...thank you…"**_

" _Don't worry, Akko-san!"_ the little girl said with a determined smile. " _Mizaki-san will surely know what to do!"_

"...let us hope…" Diana whispered, as Megumi quickly gave the miko Atsuki's address and phone number.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

" _ **Hmm…"**_

" _Um, Atsuki?"_

" _ **Hmm?"**_

" _Anything to explain, sweetheart?"_

The group had left the shrine fifteen minutes ago, and where now making their way towards Atsuki's house, passing by familiar houses and shops.

"What are you thinking about?" Lotte asked.

" _ **I'm thinking that my luck is just terrible."**_ Atsuki answered, earning a chuckle from Amanda.

"And?" she asked with a grin. Atsuki shook in Satoshi's hands.

" _ **It is very contagious, this bad luck of mine..."**_ Atsuki responded and despite everything that was happening, they all shared a good laugh. " _ **No, but really! It has to be! Unless, of course, it isn't...as we all know."**_ The group stopped walking, their laughter forgotten as they turned towards Atsuki.

"What makes you say that?" Diana asked her, already knowing the answer.

" _ **Someone is taking this very seriously,"**_ the girl-turned-broom said, shaking slightly. " _ **The magic in the stage...the break-ins in both my house and the temple's shop...turning into a broom...this all feels very personal."**_

"What makes you think that?" Sucy asked.

" _ **Because it looks to me that someone is trying to get my show cancelled...all these things feel deliberate. You don't go through this much trouble just to get a show cancelled...you make calls with friends in high places. You don't go and curse the singer, break her stage and antagonize the local miko."**_

" _But this is your first show in months!"_ Megumi pointed out. " _And your last one, too!"_

" _ **Yes, but apart from Mamori-san, my father and you two, no one else does."**_ Atsuki remarked. " _ **...why bother trying to get my show cancelled if it's the last one I will give? Why go and try to demolish the stage? Why break into my house and steal my things? Why break into the miko's shop and break their merchandise? Why turned me into a broom?"**_

" _Does it really matter?"_ Megumi wondered, glaring at no one in particular.

" _ **I guess not...but it still feels…"**_

"...off?" Diana finished. Atsuki sighed.

" _ **I suppose...this...all of this, it's just bothering me more than it should."**_

" _Let's just focus on getting through the day, okay?"_ Megumi said, as the group began walking once more. " _Once you're back to normal, everything will be okay."_

No one said anything as they approached Atsuki's home, only to stop right in front of it as a taxi stopped nearby.

"Are you expecting visitors?" Diana asked. Satoshi shook his head.

" _I...I don't think so…"_

As they wondered who could it be, the door of the taxi opened, and out came Yuujin, looking bright and cheerful. Atsuki let out a squeak of surprise.

" _ **Papa!?"**_

" _Wh-what…?"_ Satoshi squinted his eyes to see better and let out a squeak of his own. " _Oooh...noooo…"_

" _...your luck truly is terrible, Atsuki,"_ Megumi grumbled, as she quickly grabbed the girl-turned-broom to Diana. " _If Kurosawa-san finds out his daughter is a broom, he'll have another heart attack."_

" _ **Please, Megumi, I beg you...don't tempt fate!"**_ Atsuki quietly admonished.

"Sasaki-kun! Kagari! Hello, hello!" the older man waved, as the taxi left. He grinned, and waved at the little witches behind them. " _And hello to you too, little ladies!"_ He looked around. " _And where's Akko-chan? Isn't she here with you?"_

" _Well..umm…"_ Satoshi began, only to be cut off by Megumi with a laugh.

" _Oh...ha! You just missed her, sir! She left to meet up with Mamori-san! Yes! That she did!"_

Yuujin's grin fell. " _Really? Oh...I was planning to surprise her...the doctor let me out early today...I was going to tell her during the visit but I thought I'll wait it out."_

" _ **Oh...Papa…"**_ Atsuki whispered, getting a look of concern from Lotte who patted her gently on the handle.

" _So, why did Yukimura need my daughter for so early in the morning?"_ Yuujin asked. Megumi sputtered for a second, and recovered before saying,

" _Well...she wanted to meet the backup dancers Mamori got?"_

" _...why are you asking him?"_ Satoshi whispered to the side, while Megumi elbowed him.

" _Shut up…"_

" _She managed to get some help!? Wonderful! At least there are still some decent people around that are willing to help!"_ Yuujin replied, his grin back in place. " _She's probably going to be there for a while...oh, boy…"_ He passed a hand through his greying hair and then, shrugged. " _Oh well...I suppose I can surprise her later."_

" _Yes! That sounds like a great idea!"_ Megumi remarked. " _We were just heading there right now!"_

" _Oh! All of you?"_ Yuujin glanced at the witches and the broom hiding behind them. "Are you helping Akko-chan in the show, too?"

"Uh...yes, sir." Diana answered. Yuujin blinked and turned to Satoshi.

" _What she say?"_

" _That she...no! They...they are helping! Extra helpers! Yes!"_ Satoshi squeaked out nervously. Yuujin just stared at Satoshi for a bit before turning to Megumi, a smile on his face.

" _Oh! She got foreigners to help?"_

" _They're from a specialized school!"_ Megumi explained. " _You could say their work is magical!"_ She quickly turned towards the girls and said, " _Well, we need to get going! If we are late for practice, Mamori will have your heads!"_ She began to guide the girls away from Atsuki's home, as Yuujin and Satoshi looked on. " _Hey, Use-I mean, Kagari! Why don't you keep Kurosawa-san company and wait for Ruka to contact you, eh?"_

" _Uh...uh...wait, I…!"_ Satoshi began nervously, watching as the girls began walking away.

" _See you at the show, Kurosawa-san!"_ Megumi waved, along with Jasminka and Lotte, as they left the two men behind.

Satoshi stared after them, then, stared at Yuujin, who was staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

" _...sir…"_

" _Kagari…"_

This was going to be a long wait. Satoshi only hoped Ruka called with good news before Yuujin found out about his daughter's predicament.


	10. Life and Play

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

* * *

 **-10-**

 **Life and Play**

Go loved the weekends.

Weekends were fun and exciting. They meant no school, no work, no chores. They meant sleeping in until late in the afternoon. Weekends meant it was time to play. They also meant that onee-chan would come to his house and play...or at least, they had been until she started working on that super special event Mommy talked about.

Go didn't like the fact that onee-chan was working.

It was Sunday! It was fun day!

She didn't have to work on Sundays!

But for some stupid reason, his onee-chan was doing stuff on Sundays. It wasn't fair.

She hadn't done that before.

He remembered onee-chan had stayed at home for days on end that one time. Go would always visit, with Mommy bringing food from the house. They talked, Go played, and they talked again, while Go played some more. Sometimes onee-chan had visitors over. Sometimes it was onee-chan's friend, other times it was onee-chan's other friend, whom she kissed in the cheek like she kissed Go's goodbye. Sometimes it will just be onee-chan and Go alone, with Go trying to get her to play. Sometimes onee-chan would humor him by singing.

She was good at that, singing.

Go liked her voice. She could be loud and quiet, gentle and soothing. Other times she'll make a comical voice, trying to play out a certain part of her songs to make Go laugh. The songs she sang for Go didn't have the pace of the ones she sang on the stage. They were chaotic, random, cool, fun.

One time she made out a song about a little mouse living in shoes, then about an elephant that could fly and then one about chocolate-filled mochis and candy rain! Yummy!

Onee-chan could come up with any song in just a few minutes, sometimes less, and while they made his Mommy laugh when she and Go sang together, they made Go even happier. And they might have made onee-chan happy too, as one day, his Mommy mentioned that singing "kept her mind off things" to his daddy. Go didn't understand.

He assumed that meant she would be free to play with him forever, so surely she must continue to sing. That's what it was, right?

But then, one day, onee-chan said she was busy.

It was Saturday when onee-chan told Mommy about 'work'. She wouldn't be coming to play as often, because she had to practice her songs, her dance moves, and stuff. Go remembered crying at that. He had been so upset. But onee-chan had just hugged him and said, " _I will come to play more often after that show, okay Go? Don't cry."_

And so, he didn't cry. He didn't even cry when he fell on his butt that one time on Monday. Nope. He kept strong for onee-chan. She had promised, hadn't she?

But that didn't mean he couldn't visit her, right?

And that's what Go had planned to do for this Sunday. Visit onee-chan.

It was a simple plan. A genius sort of plan. It couldn't possibly fail.

He had seen onee-chan leave earlier in the morning, and he knew she'll be back later. She always was. But it took forever for her to get back. But...she never did. Or at least, Go didn't see her.

Mommy had been distracted by some loud scream and had quickly walked outside, ordering Go to stay put. Minutes later, Mommy returned, looking less nervous and more calm, muttering something along the lines of "poor girl getting scared by a cat", leaving Go to wonder why a girl would be scared of a cat. His onee-chan wasn't scared of anything!

So, he waited. And he waited some more.

Then he noticed onee-chans friends and those pretty girls from before walk by. Onee-chan's friend held unto a broom, and Go had thought it was weird. Was he going to clean? Was he going to fly? Was he going to sell it?

And Go waited again. And again. And again.

Onee-chan's friends and the pretty girls appeared once more, but still no onee-chan.

Had onee-chan been left behind? Had she gone back to 'work'?

Go let out a whine.

He wanted to play! He wanted to share the mochi onee-chan had given him yesterday! So where was onee-chan!?

When he had asked Mommy about it, the older woman had just smiled and said she was probably in the park, doing the dreaded work. UGH! All this time, and Go was wasting time again!

He went to wait by the window again but this time his waiting didn't take long.

Onee-chan's friend and the pretty girls left behind the boy with onee-chan's papa. One of the pretty girls, the one with blonde hair and blue eyes, the prettiest of the bunch, was now carrying the broom in her hands. Go blinked.

Did onee-chan need the broom for her work? Is that why they were carrying it around everywhere? But why would they need aーah! They were leaving again! There they went! There! Gone!

" _Mommy!"_ little Go cried, running towards the small kitchen where Mommy was busy with the dishes. " _Mommy!"_

" _What's wrong, Go?"_

" _I'm running away!"_

Mommy smiled, cleaning her hands on her apron, before asking, " _Oh? Where to?"_

" _The park!"_

" _Again?"_ Mommy asked, puzzled. " _Didn't you run away to the park yesterday?"_

" _It's a different park!"_

" _Ah,"_ Mommy nodded, now understanding what Go meant. " _That park. Well, I don't see why not? But, couldn't you wait a while, sweety?"_ Go shook his head. Mommy didn't understand. He had to leave now! And help onee-chan escape the work. " _I...suppose you could."_ Mommy looked at all the dishes and then stared at Go. " _Tell Akko-chan to call, alright?"_

Go nodded excitedly.

" _Okay! Okay!"_ He was already running towards the door, struggling to open it. Mommy went after him.

" _And look both ways...Go...look...Go...Go! Please look both ways before crossing the street, okay?"_

" _Okaaay! Okay! Open up! UP!"_ Go cried, failing to open the door for the second, third, and fourth time. Mommy came to his rescue, shaking her head with amusement. She managed to get the door opened for Go, who almost tripped on his own two feet. He ran off, waving at his Mommy goodbye.

He couldn't see the pretty girls and onee-chan's friend anymore. But he knew where he was going.

Look out, work! Go's going to save onee-chan from you!

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

" _What happened to your glasses, boy?"_

" _Uh...Go stepped on them a few days ago…"_

Yuujin and Satoshi were back inside the former's home, the latter, going to the kitchen to prepare the older man and himself something to drink.

As he prepared some tea, Yuujin took a look around, taking particular noticed of the plates and bowls full of food. " _...did something happen?"_ the older man suddenly asked. Satoshi reacted by almost dropping the glass pitcher.

" _What!?"_ the young man squeaked, getting a snort from Yuujin.

" _I don't bite, Kagari...no need to panic! I was just asking...there's plates full of scrambled eggs and a few bowls filled with rice."_

" _Oh...those...uh...we...uh…"_ Satoshi scrambled to find an explanation, but the words came out wrong. Yuujin didn't seem to notice.

" _Where those kids staying over?"_

" _Yes...yes, they were."_

The older man was quiet for a while, before saying, " _...they're not really going to help Atsuki with her show, are they?"_

" _No! I mean...yes! I mean…!"_

" _Breath, Kagari."_ Yuujin replied with a laugh. " _You kids thought I wouldn't notice? Megumi is usually more confident when she talks to me. This time around, it seemed she was making things up."_ Satoshi gulped. " _So, what's the story with those kids?"_ Yuujin went on, turning to face the younger man.

" _Uuh…"_

" _Come on, Kagari! I'm not mad! I'm just confused. Why did Megumi need to lie to me? You could have just said they were some friends of Akko's that were staying over and I would have believed you."_

" _We...panicked?"_

" _Did you? Is that why you have the unfinished breakfast just there?"_ The man pointed towards the plates and bowls. Satoshi let out a small groan and mumbled that he "should have cleaned that up" to himself. " _What was that?"_

" _I said...nevermind,"_ Satoshi sighed as he approached the table, the glass pitcher and glasses completely forgotten. He sat down next to Yuujin with a huff. " _...it's been a little hectic these few days."_

" _So I heard,"_ Yuujin replied with a nod. " _When was Akko going to tell me about the stage?"_ That made Satoshi flinch as he shot up from his chair.

" _Who told you!?"_

Yuujin laughed, as Satoshi realized what he had said and buried his face with his hands. He let out a miserable groan.

" _Atsuki...is going to kill me…"_

" _Nah, my Akko is a sweetheart. Besides, I think Yukimura-san should take the blame more than you on that one."_ Satoshi peeked at him.

" _...Mamori told you?"_

" _Yes. Akko-chan came in one day looking a little angry and well...I made some calls. They do let me use the phone at the hospital too, you know."_

" _And she told you?"_

" _She gave me the full story."_ Yuujin nodded. " _I get my little girl is upset about, "_ the old man gestured towards himself, " _me but she shouldn't stress herself so much with lying to her old man. It's not healthy. And besides, I bet you and Megumi get angry enough for her sake."_ Yuujin turned to stare at the living room, trying to find something that seemed to be lost.

Satoshi finally uncovered his face and sat down, nodding his head. " _She's...been upset."_

" _I know…"_ Yuujin said with a sigh. " _Most of her smiles don't seem genuine these days. She seemed happier when she came from visiting Go...but well…"_

" _...the show is going to happen one way or the other."_ Satoshi finished. Yuujin crossed both arms over his chest.

" _She didn't have to do this. I didn't want her to do this. I can't help but think I forced her hand like this...sure, working in that kind of industry is harsh...but…"_

" _...she'll rather spend time with you."_ Satoshi told him. Yuujin just let out another sigh.

" _I won't be here forever."_

" _She knows that…"_

" _And yet she also knows I don't like you and yet she's still going out with you!"_ Yuujin grumbled, earning a small laugh from Satoshi. " _She won't listen to you. She won't listen to me. Does Megumi even have a chance?"_

" _If we couldn't convince her otherwise, what makes you think Megumi would have?"_

Yuujin shrugged his shoulders. " _...You surprise me, Kagari…"_

" _Sir?"_

" _Most boys your age would have left by now."_

" _Huh?"_

" _...don't give me that stupid look, Kagari, you know what I am talking about."_ Yuujin turned to face him. " _You neglected your studies to be with Atsuki. Neglected clubs and friends and even work to hang around with Atsuki and her old man."_ Satoshi gave him a sad look, before smiling and nodding.

" _...I love your daughter."_

" _Do you? Most boys your age say the same thing. And it doesn't last."_ Satoshi shook his head.

" _I'm not most boys."_

" _Hmph! All boys look the same to me!"_ Yuujin uncrossed his arms and patted Satoshi on the shoulder. " _I...appreciate it. I know this must cause no end of consternation for your grandparents…"_

" _They understand,"_ he said.

" _They'll be the first."_ Yuujin sighed. " _You take care of her, then...she's already wasted enough tears on her old man…"_ Satoshi nodded, and patted the older man's hand that still lay on his shoulder.

" _You know I will...I can be stubborn too."_

Yuujin let out a loud laugh, but it was drowned by the sudden ringing of the phone. " _Ho? You expecting a call?"_

Satoshi rose from the chair and went to grab the phone. With any luck, hopefully not Atsuki's, it was the mikos calling back from the temple with good news.

" _Yes?"_

" _I'm assuming from the voice, it's Kagari-kun, eh?"_

" _Yoko?"_

Yoko chuckled from the other side. " _The one and only."_

" _Oh, thank goodness!"_ Satoshi turned away from Yuujin as he held the phone, putting a hand over the speaker so Yuujin wouldn't hear what Yoko was saying. " _I thought Ruka-san said you were busy."_

" _Ichigo, bless that girl, ran into Honda-san and myself as we were making our way back to the temple."_ Yoko explained with a sigh. " _She told us everything...is...is Atsuki with you?"_ Satoshi shook his head as he answered.

" _No. We ran into her father and well…"_

" _I think I understand...so, I'm guessing our little witches are not there either?"_

" _They left with Megumi."_

" _Wonderful, they're all in one place!"_ Satoshi raised an eyebrow at that remark, but waited for the miko to continue. " _A pair of women showed up in the Urashima Sanctuary looking for them...said they were the teachers of our little group."_ Yoko told him. " _That's why I wasn't there in the morning...Kato-sama had called for me to give them a hand. They were rather anxious when I arrived but now everything seems alright. They'll wait for the young ladies in the main temple until I return with their students."_

" _Well, at least they'll be able to go home now."_

" _True...which takes us back to Atsuki's little, ah, problem…"_

" _You can fix it, right?"_ the young man asked, sounding nervous. He heard a small chuckle from the other side.

" _Oh, you bet I can. Ruka gave me enough information to go on, so I know exactly what kind of curse this is. I might also have a good idea where our little troublemaker came from as well…"_

" _Really?"_

" _The spell that ensnared your little singer is something I'm very familiar with. A few temples from the Shibuya ward use it as a training tool against other transformation curses."_

" _W-wait...are you saying that…?"_

" _Ruka told me that our little broom mentioned a young man, so my best guess is that a monk has run amok...hehehe!"_ Yoko laughed when Satoshi let out a groan at her terrible joke. " _In any case, the spell requires a particular set of words to be broken. A very simple thing to do, really."_

" _That's good to know…"_

" _It is. For Atsuki, anyway. Listen…"_ The young man heard Yoko take a deep breath. " _I'll head to the park straight away...let's meet on the way, alright?"_ Satoshi nodded, despite the fact the miko couldn't see.

" _Alright."_

" _Good."_ And with that, Yoko hanged up.

Yuujin was staring at him as he put the phone down. " _Did something happen?"_

" _Nothing yet...it was one of the girls that's going to help us."_ Satoshi lied. " _She was looking for Atsuki…"_ The young man nodded. " _She's got some questions about a few things...and keeps forgetting which, uh, which park the event is taking place."_

Yuujin laughed. " _I'm guessing she asked for directions."_

" _She did but...well…"_

" _She got lost."_ Yuujin nodded.

" _I'll go to meet up with her...she's near the Taro Shrine…"_

" _Alright."_ Yuujin watched as Satoshi turned to leave. " _Hey...Kagari?"_

" _Sir?"_ The older man shook his head, smiling.

" _...nah...I...I decided I'll tell her later."_

Satoshi stared at the older man for a while, before nodding and leaving the house.

Yuujin watched him close the door, and then, leaning against the chair let out a long sigh. " _...how you manage to find a stubborn one like you, Akko-chan?"_ He stared at the empty house, his eyes falling on a picture of a younger Atsuki and Yuujin, smiling at the camera, as the little girl sat on her papa's shoulder. " _Life's too short sometimes...isn't it..._ " Yuujin let out another sigh and stared at the clock.

Seven hours to go.


	11. A Confrontation

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

* * *

 **-11-**

 **A Confrontation**

" _ **Why is my luck so baaad…?"**_ Atsuki whined as the girls began making their way towards Sutāgāden Park. " _ **I haven't had this much bad luck since that show back in Shibuya a year ago…"**_

" _Well, you weren't turned into a broom during that one."_ Megumi pointed out, causing Atsuki to groan louder. " _Oh, come off it, sweetheart...we managed to avoid that awkward conversation with your father, didn't we?"_

" _ **Of course we didn't!"**_ Atsuki grumbled, making the girls stop and stare at the girl-turned-broom.

"What do you mean?" Diana asked. "It might not have been the most elaborate lie but…"

" _ **My dad used to be a detective once. He's not that old that he wouldn't be able to tell if someone is lying to him. He did notice something was up."**_ Atsuki told her. " _ **Megumi usually talks like she knows what she's talking about…"**_

" _Hey!"_

" _ **...this time around...if I noticed her bad attempts at conversation, he did too. He's figured we are probably hiding something from him and now we've gone and left Satoshi to face the consequences."**_

Megumi snorted. " _Please. Your father already dislikes Kagari. What could he dislike more?"_

" _ **...Megumi…"**_ Atsuki warned. Her friend just shrugged as she and the others started walking.

"If he's anything like _her_ ," Sucy whispered to the side to Lotte. "He'll find a way."

"I just hope this doesn't bring more problems…" Lotte whispered back, getting a nod in return.

"So…" Sucy started, making Megumi turn back to face the group of witches. "...what exactly are you planning to do once we get to the park again? You do realize that you can't do much, right? On account of being a broom and all that."

Atsuki let out a tired sigh. " _ **I wanna talk to Mamori-san. She needs to know what's going on...in case we need to postpone the show."**_ Megumi shook her head.

" _Ruka-san did say that they'll get here in time to help you, didn't she?"_ The broom shook.

" _ **It's not that I don't believe them…but...well…"**_

"You believe something else will happen, don't you?" Diana asked. Atsuki shook again, this time shaking so much she actually moved Megumi's hand.

" _ **Yes. We still haven't found our little troublemakers. The fact they went so far as to vandalize the miko's shop and turn me into a broom tells me they're not done causing trouble just yet."**_

"But, wouldn't they know that the mikos at the temple could help you out, though? Why bother to get on their bad side?" Amanda wondered.

" _ **Oh, even without the vandalism I'm sure those guys will be on anyone's bad side after what they did to me…no...they probably thought a lot of of this in advance. One of them, or maybe both, are familiar with magic."**_ The girls stopped for a traffic light, huddling together so no one would hear the talking broom in Megumi's hand. " _ **My best guess is that they knew the girls that worked the Taro shrine wouldn't be able to help us...at least, not right away."**_

Diana nodded. "True...but why go through all that trouble?" Amanda let out a growl of frustration.

"Yeah! I mean…!" A few people turned to stare at the group, forcing Amanda to lower her voice. "We are talking about too many things going on in such a short time. Yeah, so they knew that no one there would be able to help us...but what about that Yoko lady? What about the other girl they mentioned, Mizaki-something or the other…? How they figured neither of those two could help us!?"

" _ **What is it that you need to break spells or curses?"**_ Atsuki asked patiently.

"Magic!" Jasminka answered with a smile, causing the girl-turned-broom to nod at her direction by shaking slightly.

" _ **That's right. And where did you girls get those magatamas from?"**_

"Aah…" Amanda whispered, nodding her head in understanding as Diana nodded.

The lights finally changed from red to green, allowing the group of girls to walk again. They still huddled together, blocking Atsuki and Megumi from sight as the girl-turned-broom talked.

" _ **What I'm thinking is that Yoko-san or her friend, are useless without magatamas."**_

"Yes...Yoko did say that magic was rather limited in the area and a magatama usually helps."

" _But you used magic just fine yesterday...and you didn't have a magatama then!"_ Megumi pointed out. Diana nodded.

"True…but our wands are restricted by what they themselves can carry without a sorcerer's stone nearby. What I did yesterday was enough to diminish it's magic and render it useless...the magatama that Yoko provided is a good replacement for the sorcerer's stone, but it will eventually run out of power."

" _ **Which gets us back to the problem with the shop…"**_ Atsuki put in, as they turned to a corner. " _ **I believe that Yoko-san and her friend usually don't come from Urashima carrying their own magatamas but if they do, they are limited by the twenty-four hour period likes yours are. Even so, they probably don't do magic as often as you girls do, so that saves even more energy on their side...but they can't really do much with magatamas that lose that power, now can they?"**_

"So, they went to destroy the shop so they could get rid of the magatamas and stop them from using magic…" Sucy said, glancing at Amanda and Lotte, who shrugged in turn. "That still doesn't seem like a smart plan. Sure, it's just more work on their side to get you back to normal but you'll still get the help you need. Eventually."

" _ **That's true."**_ Atsuki agreed. " _ **But we started at the stage and ended with a broom...so, what does that tell you?"**_

For a moment, no one said anything, that is until Diana let out a small gasp, putting a hand on her chest as she turned to face Megumi and the girl-turned-broom.

"...are you saying you...are you suggesting that…that you turning into a broom was a distraction?"

"WHAT!?" the group yelled, making a few passerbys jump along with them. Megumi offered a few apologies as the young witches murmured half-hearted remarks.

" _What do you mean a distraction?"_ Megumi asked, after she had calmed down, turning to the broom in her hands and seeing it shaking. " _What do you mean, Atsuki?"_

" _ **If you really think about it, turning me into a broom seems like a waste of time…"**_ Atsuki replied with a small shake. " _ **Why do this if they knew the mikos would be able to help me? Sure, I will just have to wait a few hours to turn back but it still doesn't explain why bother to do it. Why would they think making the mikos know about their mischief be a good idea? We all were distracted by...this problem of mine...but then, I began to think...those guys are still out there causing a mess of things and that forces another problem here."**_

"So, wait…" Lotte began, her eyebrows lowering slightly. "Are you saying that while we were worried about you, they're probably back at the park trying to destroy the stage again?!" Megumi let out a groan as the pieces connected on her head.

" _...I hate it when you start making sense…if you're right about this..."_

"I mean, if they try to break the stage again...we could just fix it, right?" Amanda interrupted, turning towards Diana and Sucy for confirmation. Sucy shrugged as an answer while Diana took out the small magatama and examined it. It's glow was faint.

"I believe we might have enough magic for a couple of spells...but even so…"

"...if they stole any magatamas from the shop we'll be pretty screwed." Sucy finished. Amanda placed a hand on her face, while Megumi used Atsuki to lightly tap her forehead in consternation.

Suddenly, Constanze began to poke Atsuki near the handle, catching both her and Megumi's attention. " _Hmm? What is it?"_ Megumi asked. Constanze tapped Atsuki again, making the girl-turned-broom shake. The small girl then, pointed at herself, and began to make motions with her hand as if she had a hammer and nails.

" _ **Oh!"**_ Atsuki seemed to realize what she meant almost immediately. " _ **Are you saying you would fix the stage?"**_ Constanze nodded, a pleased smile on her face, before she pointed at Diana and Sucy, and made a waving motion, before gesturing towards their wands.

"Ah, I see," Diana replied with a nod. "Cancelling the spell they use on the stage seems to be our best option…" Constanze gave her a thumbs up. Amanda was scratching her head in confusion.

"And how's that help, exactly?"

"Cancelling spells or breaking them is usually easy to do, if you know the spell well enough." Diana explained.

" _So, you cancel the spell and you fix the stage the old fashioned way?"_ Megumi asked. Constanze nodded. " _No disrespect or nothing, but have you ever fixed a stage before?"_

Amanda snorted.

"A stage will be a piece of cake, considering what Constanze is capable off!"

"Well, that's at least one problem out of the way…" Sucy muttered, getting a sad smile from Lotte.

"...but, what about the troublemakers?" Jasminka asked. "Why are they doing this?"

" _ **That...is a good question,"**_ Atsuki said, moving slightly from side to side. " _ **Those two can't be working alone after all...so...hmm."**_

"Any enemies? Other than your terrible luck?" Sucy asked her, getting a small slap on her shoulder courtesy of Lotte. Atsuki chuckled in amusement.

" _ **My luck is my worst enemy,"**_ she explained, before sighing, " _ **But...no...not any that I know of."**_

"You must know someone that hates your guts, at least," Sucy pointed out. "You are a singer. Someone out there must hate you enough to go through all this trouble."

"Sucy!"

"Miss Manbavaran!"

" _Well…"_ Megumi but in before Diana or Lotte could berate Sucy more. " _...there is this girl."_

" _ **Megumi…"**_

" _What?"_

" _ **...just because you don't like her doesn't make her a prime suspect here."**_

"Who's 'her'?" Amanda asked, getting a snort from Megumi.

" _The worst of the best...the snobbiest of them all...Satou Kenta. The Star of Shibuya."_

"Oh, look Cavendish...we may have found your Japanese equivalent," Amanda said to the side, getting a glare from Diana in turn.

" _ **...Megumi, don't go pointing fingers now…"**_

" _Why shouldn't I? Isn't it mighty suspicious that the moment she comes back from tour, these things start happening?"_

" _ **Her attitude has always been a problem, I'll give you that,"**_ Atsuki began, shaking slightly. " _ **But why would she pull these kinds of stunts on my show, of all things?"**_ She turned to the girls and began shaking left and right. " _ **Megumi's only problem with Kenta is that our little Star is a bit of a showboat. And no, these things started happening long before Kenta even came back from her tour...you should know that, Megumi."**_

"Are you sure?" Amanda asked. "Megumi seems pretty convinced."

" _ **She was also pretty convinced you were intruders, too,"**_ Atsuki replied, making Megumi blush with embarrassment. " _ **Kenta's been surprisingly understanding. And while her attitude is a problem, she hasn't done anything bad."**_

" _Yet…"_

" _ **Megumi…"**_

" _I'm just saying...she'll be the first on the list."_

" _ **Even so, why do all this? Kenta's ten times more popular than I would ever hope to be...what does she gain, exactly?"**_

"Do you know of anyone else?" Diana ventured to ask. Atsuki seemed to shrug.

" _ **Nope. When my father got sick I basically closed myself off...I didn't get to make too many friends on the industry...I just started getting a little bigger a year ago, and well, with Papa's health...I just brushed off so many people, not that I really cared at the time."**_

After that, the talking came to a stop as the girls focused on getting to the park on time.

Had they stopped a few more times, they would have noticed the young boy heading their way.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

They arrived at the park without any problems.

Everyone was hard at work, putting chairs in place, and fixing a few things here and there. The stage itself had gotten a complete overhaul. It looked the same, but this time, there was a large, red curtain, covering the part that would be part of the backstage. Paper lanterns decorated the roof of the stage, and a few props were laid out here and there, that would soon be part of the stage. A few trucks were parked around the area, with workers taking out boxes from the back of the vehicles, while others began placing stands around the chairs, keeping themselves a fair distance away. In front of the stage, was a pair of large stereos, plus a set of drums, a couple of guitars, and a few other instruments no one could really recognize.

" _Everything seems all set!"_ Megumi smile. " _Well, almost everything. The stage could use a bit of work, though…"_

" _ **Where is Mamori-san? I can't see her anywhere."**_ Atsuki said, trying not to move to much lest she catch someone's attention. The last thing they needed was someone to notice the moving and talking broom.

" _She must be backstage,"_ Megumi said, gesturing for the little witches to follow after her. " _They know me. They'll let you guys inside,"_ she explained, as the passed by a security guard who nodded at Megumi and after a few questions, let them pass.

As they were making their way towards the stage, a few workers from yesterday recognized the little witches and waved, assuring them that the stage was "good as new" and that they were glad they showed up when they did.

" _ **It's nice to see them so happy for a change…"**_ Atsuki murmured. " _ **Everyone's been so upset about the stage but you coming seems to have lifted their spirits."**_

"Their spirits will be back to zero if we don't catch those creeps, though," Amanda pointed out.

They were already behind the curtain, looking about.

Now that they were finally in the backstage, the little witches it was bigger than it looked. They saw a few doors here and there, and a long hallway, with a few tables full of water and snacks placed nearby, right next to a large black trash can. Atsuki began to tap her strawhead on the floor.

" _ **Mamori should be in the last room over there...that's usually where she...hmm?"**_

" _What is it?"_

" _ **Do you hear that…? Someone's coming this...waaayyy!?"**_

Before anyone knew what was happening, a young man, shorter than Megumi, dashed towards her, knocking into her slightly and forcing Atsuki out of her grasp. The boy went to grab the broom, and moved fast before either Jasminka or Amanda could get their hands on him.

He ran in front of them, turning to face them with Atsuki moving about in his grasp. He had to hold her up with both hands to avoid being hit by either the handle or the strawhead that were now moving erratically.

" _ **YOU!?"**_

" _Atsuki!"_ Megumi cried, trying to run after him, only to be stopped when a chubby boy showed up from behind the other one, pointing a shaking wand made out of vines and wood, towards the girls.

" _Plea-please...stop!"_

Sucy and Diana had there wands out as well, pointing it towards the short boy and the newcomer. While Sucy aimed at the boy with the wand, Diana was aiming straight at the boy with the struggling Atsuki over him.

"...let her go. Now." Diana orders, only for shorty to smirk.

" _Like hell I am! Why should we let this bitch go!? Huh?"_

"Because we'll make you, dumbass!" Amanda yells back, and despite her anger and willingness to fight, Constanze and Jasminka hold her back, so as the pudgy boy with the wand doesn't hurt her.

" _Just...just stay where you are…"_ the other boy says nervously, sweat already decorating his forehead. " _...our proble-problem's with her…"_

"And you just became our problem," Sucy remarks, her wand never leaving the boy's face. Pudgy gulps and turns to stare at his friend. The other boy is giving them a terrible smile.

"Pah! You think you can stop us!? Here, how about this!?" And then, much to everyone's horror, he begins to push Atsuki down towards him, holding both the handle and the middle of the broom, trying to rip her in half.

"No!" Diana cries. "STOP!"

"Stop that, you asshole!"

"No! No!"

"ATSUKI!"

* * *

...the first flash of pain is gentle, almost like a poke, poke, poke, poke.

Akko doesn't feel much beyond confusion for a while.

And then, the pain gets worse. It makes her dizzy. It makes her sick. She can't keep holding on to the papers in her hands, nothing's holding her, but everything's breaking…

* * *

" _ **EEEEKKKKKAAAAHHHHH!"**_

" _Stop! Stop! What are you doing!?"_

" _Drop the wands! Drop them! Or I break her in half!"_

* * *

...someone's crushing her skull...her neck…

Akko wants to breath but someone's crushing the air out of her lungs, clamming them shut with such a ferocity she doesn't know if she's dreaming.

"...spit...it...out…!"

Akko hears voices now. They are so far away...and it hurts to think...hurts to breath…

She's choking.

 _...it hurts...it…_

* * *

" _ **AAAAHHHH! AHHH! AHHH!"**_

"Alright! Alright!" Sucy cries, throwing the wand towards the chubby boy with Diana quickly following suit.

The wands land by shorty's feet, and despite that, he still keeps on pulling Atsuki down, smiling. His companion seems to have had enough for he hits him hard in the arm and says,

" _You're going to kill her! Stop!"_

Shorty glares at his friend, but stops nonetheless, before he chugs Atsuki behind him, and her cries are silenced.

* * *

...the pain goes away…

But Akko still feels a little faint...a little…

...the pain is gone…

* * *

" _Why did you do that!?"_ chubby boy cries, glaring at his companion. " _You didn't have to hurt her like that!"_

" _After what she did to your nose, I'm surprise you care! Well, whatever!"_ Shorty pushes his friend aside and takes his wand from his grasp, pointing the wand towards the group of girls, before kicking the wands as far away as possible. " _Now. Stay."_

" _You think you're going to get away with this!"_ Megumi cries, nervously glancing behind him to see where Atsuki had fallen. It's too dark. She can't tell where the girl-turned-broom is.

" _I believe I just have...if only you idiots hadn't fixed the stupid stage, we wouldn't even be here!"_

"The mikos already know what you did," Sucy said, eyeing the darkness behind them. "Whatever ever you plan to do now, won't matter."

" _If it gets this stupid thing cancelled, then nothing else matters!"_ the boy remarked, grinning widely. " _If I get rid of you it won't be a...arggghhhh! WHAT THE HELL!?"_

" _GO!?"_

Little Go had appeared out of nowhere and was now, biting the short boy's leg, muttering, " _Bhig boys, bad! I bhite you! Grr! Grr!"_

" _Go, get away from that creep!"_

"Where the hell did that kid come from!?" Amanda cried, but no one was listening. They were all staring at Go, wide-eyed with worry, as the little boy continued to bite on the older boy's leg.

" _Let go! Let go, you little worm!"_ shorty cried out, slamming his fist hard on Go's little head. The boy didn't budge, but it caused the girls and the chubby boy to let out a gasp.

"Stop! He's just a little kid!" Lotte cried, flinching as Go was hit again.

" _Why you little brat, I'll...I'll….aiiieeeeee!"_

The girls heard a loud _crack_ , as shorty yelped and the chubby boy fell on his butt.

Everyone stared at the furious visage of Atsuki Kurosawa, now looking very human, as she held the short boy's wrist. The boy's expression became pale, as everyone heard the faint cracking of bones, the more Atsuki held unto his wrist. The wand he had held, fell with a small thwack, but his companion didn't try to grab it. He was still staring at the young woman with an expression of shock.

" _Go,"_ Atsuki began gently, catching the little boy's attention. " _Please let go of the nasty boy's leg."_ Go obeyed almost immediately, spitting out in disguise, before running towards Megumi and the others. " _Now…you…"_ Atsuki pulled the boy to side, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up, so they were staring face to face, Atsuki never letting go of his wrist. " _Think you're tough hitting a little boy?"_

" _Whatever, bitch!"_ the short boy began, flinching as Atsuki let go of his wrist. " _You can't do nothing! This show's already in the trash!"_ Atsuki raised an eyebrow, and without changing her expression, said,

" _Oh...the trash...eh? Well, seeing as you like playing dirty, let me show you where trash like you belongs!"_ With a swift movement, Atsuki raised the boy up once more, before dumping him, head first, into the nearby trash can. He struggled to move inside the bin, before the lid, floating as if by magic, landed on top of his legs, trapping him inside.

" _Well, that was exciting!"_

Yoko and Satoshi made their presence known, appearing behind Atsuki, with the miko wielding a staff in her hands.

" _G-get me outta here!"_ the trash bin cried, but everyone ignored him, as they focused on the boy that remained.

Atsuki didn't seem to pay him no mind, as she quickly kneeled and asked Go, " _Are you okay, Go? Did that nasty boy hurt you?"_

" _Nah!"_ Go said, giving her a hug. " _But, where were you, onee-chan? Your friends were in trouble!"_

" _I noticed."_ With Go in her arms, Atsuki got up, smiling to herself. " _Ah...it's good to be back to normal again...never thought I'll say that I missed my body."_

" _On the plus side, you're better off than he is,"_ Yoko said, gesturing with her staff towards the struggling bin. " _But, you...are not, my little friend,"_ the miko said, giving the chubby boy a look of disappointment. " _Using magic to cause trouble is a serious offense, little monk…"_ The boy didn't say anything but lowered his head. " _Not feeling like defending yourself, eh...well, it won't matter. You're in trouble either way."_

As Yoko was lecturing the boy, Satoshi quickly went to grab the wands and gave them to Sucy and Diana. " _What the hell took you, Kagari!?"_ Megumi cried, as she went to hug Atsuki, with Go whining about "onee-chan's friend being heavy".

" _We were looking for you!"_ Satoshi defended. " _But we ran into Mamori outside, and by then, we had already noticed Go running this way. What happened? Why was Atsuki in the ground when we arrived?"_

"You don't wanna know." Sucy remarked. "Just know that trash boy started it."

" _What….? What he do…?"_ Satoshi asked, his eyes flashing dangerously, as he started at the bin that moved.

"His wrist is probably broken by now," Atsuki mentioned, patting his shoulder. "He won't cause trouble again."

" _Not if he knows what's good for him…"_ Yoko replied, nodding. " _I already made some calls before arriving...some people are going to be picking them up."_ Yoko glared at the boy behind them, who only lowered his head. " _Shame on you."_

"Well, at least everything's alright now?" Amanda asked, getting a small nod from Atsuki.

"Yes...I believe we are out of trouble…"

" _...out of trouble, you say? Oh, princess….always so positive."_

The group turned to stare at the newcomer, Atsuki frowning as she caught sight of the new girl, who leaned against the wall, her hands letting out soft, lazy claps.

" _...Satou-san...what a surprise to see you…"_


	12. The Princess and the Star

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

* * *

 **-12-**

 **The Princess and the Star**

It all began when that new singer appeared in Shibuya; Kenta could still remember the day like it was yesterday.

The scene had always been the same. Satou still remembers the names of all those girls that had come, trying to make a name for themselves, only to dry up before ever reaching the stage. It had almost happened to her but like the star that she was, she preserved and left her audience in awe.

Kenta had made a name for herself since she was eleven, dancing, singing, commercials, a secondary character in a popular television series, even voice acting. Kenta had done it all and for her efforts she had become a star. The sweat, the tears, the frustrations, the stress, all seemed to be nothing compared to the riches and fans she earned day in, night out.

And then, _she_ showed up. That new girl. That Kurosawa brat.

The Star of Shibuya had seen many girls like Kurosawa in her time. She knew the look of a greenhorn when she saw one. But Kurosawa wasn't nervous like those other girls she saw time and time again step into the studio and disappear in tears, no. Kurosawa had a bright smile and a cheerful personality. She joked, she laughed, she smiled and had fun.

Even after getting rejected by two agents, Kurosawa appeared again and again in the studio until that Yukimura noticed her.

Yukimura Mamori had always been a hard woman to please. Even Kenta herself had had a hard time impressing Yukimura, and despite the success she gained, the woman had never been impressed. But for some reason, Yukimura was impressed by that brat from Edogawa.

Kurosawa had never given up and that had taken Mamori's interest.

If the girl could walk the walk, she could very well sing the songs, and Yukimura sought her out personally.

Yukimura told the story like it was some sort of novel; she found Kurosawa leaning against a tree, writing in a small little notebook, and singing. The girl had attracted a crowd by the time Yukimura was going to lunch. Curious, Yukimura had stayed nearby, watching, as Kurosawa sang and sang, sometimes encouraging the crowd to suggest a topic and she'll sing about it. And goodness did she sing. She sang about soda pop, about rainbows, about cars and streets, about any nonsense the crowd asked of her, except for a few taboo topics out of respect. The crowd would clap and even sing along with crooked lyrics, and Kurosawa would imitate them, make them laugh and smile.

One day, Yukimura had made her way straight towards Kurosawa, after the latter's failed attempts in the studio, and told her, " _You have a good voice. But you lack the discipline for it."_ Kurosawa had blinked at her and smiled and said, " _I like to sing...there's always room to learn, though."_ An hour later, Yukimura Mamori had become Kurosawa Atsuki's agent.

Everyone, including Kenta, had been shocked that some wannabe singer had managed to impressed Yukimura.

But despite having one of the most experienced agents of the studio, Kurosawa had trouble winning the hearts of the people of Tokyo.

Kenta remembered feeling sorry for that brat.

The Star of Shibuya had struggled so much to gain everything, and here was Kurosawa, struggling to get noticed. But Kurosawa was not like Kenta. Tokyo loved Kenta. She had boys falling to their knees, and girls at her heels. Kurosawa had her songs and attitude.

Always bright. Always cheerful.

By the end of that first year, Kurosawa had what Kenta had had. She had fans and a name.

The Princess of Tokyo, they called her.

Kenta was a star, and Kurosawa had become a princess. A _princess_.

But Kenta wasn't jealous, no. It was just some stupid nickname after all. Yet, the advertisers loved the nickname. It was 'princess' this and that. Soon, Kurosawa was appearing in shows, singing her silly and childish songs to an equally childish audience. She was like an annoying parrot. She could sing, she could dance, she could imitate. And even as people laughed, Kurosawa laughed with them, never once showing embarrassment, never once showing anything but a smile.

Kenta was a star, and this princess was nothing but a clown. A clown!

How could anyone enjoy that little parrot!? That little harlot that showed-off with a smile and had a laugh about her failures? How could anyone think she was a princess?

Yukimura literally picked her up from a corner. And she was the princess.

Kenta was a star. _A star!_

And this clown of a princess was showing off! Thinking she was better than the Satou Kenta, the Star of Shibuya. But Kenta had struggled, Kenta had prevailed, and the only reason that clown was near the top was because she made people laugh!? What a joke! What a disgrace.

She only was a princess because she was a clown. But Kenta was a star. A STAR.

But then, the princess disappeared one day. Shows that had been planned were cancelled, concerts were postponed.

Perhaps the little harlot had finally learned her lesson and realized she couldn't compete with a star. (Oh, and her father had gotten sick. Kenta didn't really care about that.)

And then, four months later, Kenta hears about the _concert_. It was meant to be an espetacular event. A concert by a princess for her subjects. Free event, free food, free drinks, free memorabilia, free everything. The concert had been advertised all over Tokyo, all the way to Hokkaido and even Okinawa. It was a grand event, they'll say, despite it's modesty.

Oh, but Kenta knew better.

She knew it was last ditch effort by that _princess_ to get to the top. To take Kenta off her throne and throw her to the wolves.

Kenta was a star, and she'll make sure she stayed that way, and so, she began to plan.

If this princess wanted a throne, she could have it, but Kenta wasn't letting her stay on it for long.

Kenta was going to teach that brat a lesson...Atsuki should have quit a long time ago.

* * *

" _...what are you doing here, Satou-san?"_ Atsuki asked. Go was still in her arms, and stared at the newcomer curiously, while the girls and Satoshi remained quiet, wondering what was about to happen next.

Kenta had let out a small laugh, and shakes her head. " _...I was waiting for the princess's kingdom to fall."_ Atsuki raised an eyebrow, confused, before her eyes widened in realization, then, that sad, miserable expression returned to her face, and she nodded.

" _...I see,"_ Atsuki responded after a while, making everyone else stare at her in confusion, but it was Satoshi that expressed it out loud.

" _What the heck is she talking about, Atsuki?"_ he asked, staring first at Kenta, then at the sad expression on Atsuki's face. Megumi and the girls seemed to understand the problem almost immediately because Megumi had muttered something along the lines of "are you kidding me" before shaking her head. And then, the wheels began to turn. The misery from the last few weeks returned full force, and Satoshi, despite his slowness, had connected the dots. " _...you did this!?"_

Kenta didn't even react to Satoshi outburst, instead, deciding to let out a small laugh. " _Did what?"_

" _Don't play that game with me, you crazy bitch!"_ Satoshi roared, taking a step forward, before Atsuki grabbed him and held him back, carrying Go with her other arm. The little boy let out a small 'wow' of amazement, as Satoshi bristled with rage. " _Was this your doing!?"_

" _My doing?"_ Kenta repeated, ignoring Satoshi to examine her nails.

"...so, she's the reason for all this mess…" Sucy muttered as Satoshi let out an irritated growl.

"You are kidding...right? Is this some sort of joke?" Amanda whispered back. But Diana, Lotte and Constanze were not talking. They glared at Kenta from behind Atsuki and the others. Jasminka opted to stay quiet, a disappointed look in her face.

" _Yes! Your doing!"_ Satoshi yelled again. He was barely held back by Atsuki's arm, but now, Megumi was holding him back by the shoulders.

" _She's not worth it, Kagari,"_ Megumi whispered, but Satoshi wasn't listening. He was angry, he was upset, he was many things at once, and even if he couldn't see Kenta's smiling face clearly, he could tell that Kenta was mocking them, laughing at their expense, hurting Atsuki...oh, how Satoshi wanted to wipe away that girl's stupid little grin.

" _You! You did this! First Atsuki's house, then the stage, then...then…"_ At this, Satoshi turned a withering stare towards the monk nearby, who cowered at the look's intensity. " _...you got her turned into...into a broom! A BROOM!"_

Kenta just laughed again.

" _Hahaha...oh! That broom! What a neat trick, princess…! It was so funny. Too bad it didn't last."_ It was this last comment that made Diana hold her wand in a tight grip, with Sucy raising it up a bit and pointing it at her, before a small sound, wood hitting wood, made the two girls stare at Yoko's stern expression. The miko warned them with a look, and with her hand, gestured for the two girls to put their wands down. Diana and Sucy stared at each other before putting their wands back in their sashes in defeat.

"Why aren't either of you turning her into a frog yet?" Amanda muttered with a glare. Only to be answered by silence. She glanced at Yoko, who just shook her head.

Kenta giggled for a while longer, before her expression turned stern and she was shaking her head at Atsuki. " _Oh, poor little princess...always making enemies, never friends."_

" _...Ah, but you know that enemies are always closer than you think."_ Atsuki answered, making Kenta stare at her in annoyance. " _It's incredibly convenient you showed up when you did, though."_

" _I'm not with this pair of idiots,"_ Kenta answered, crossing both arms over her chest and glaring at Atsuki. " _I don't know what you are on about."_ The monk stared at Kenta with a strange expression, before he lowered his head even more. They could barely hear a small hiccup and a intake of breath. The other boy had stopped struggling on the trash, as if all the fight had been sapped out of him.

" _...Satou-chan…"_ the trash whimpered. " _...that...that's…"_

Yoko just shook her head.

Oh, poor fools, tempted by a vile seductress.

" _I don't know what you're talking about,"_ Kenta went on again, deciding to examine her nails once more. " _They must be jealous of you, princess...considering you have a boyfriend and all."_ Atsuki's expression changed so quickly, before it returned to it's gentle, sad look.

" _And yet you're here…"_

" _Oh, so now you're throwing me out, is that it, Kurosawa?"_ Kenta said, her nails forgotten, and eyes glaring at Atsuki's own. Atsuki shrugged.

Go, meanwhile, watched the exchange with a pout. He stuck his tongue out at Kenta. " _You're mean! Mean! Mean!"_ the little boy yelled, before blowing a raspberry at the singer. Kenta's expression darkened at that.

" _Shut up, you little brat. The adults are talking."_ Atsuki glared at that comment, gently, putting Go down before staring back at Kenta.

" _Is there something wrong, Kenta?"_ she asked, hands on her hips as little Go hid behind her.

Kenta laughs at that, and begins to count off with her fingers. " _Well, the weather is a problem...your friends, your boyfriend, that little gremlin...and finally, you."_ Atsuki stood up straighter and tilting her head, asked,

" _Me?"_

" _Don't pretend you don't know." Kenta replied, glaring and losing all signs of merriment. "You're making this great comeback...and you think I wouldn't have noticed."_ Atsuki is still staring at her, confused. " _You think you're better than everyone, don't you? You think you can just put on some grand, stupid show and that everyone would love you?"_ Kenta took a step forward, Atsuki just kept staring at her with this familiar, Akko-like look of confusion, not even reacting, just looking. " _You make me sick. You think the whole world should fall at your feet because you're popular. Oh! They call you the Princess, so what!? You're nothing but a fake pretending to be royalty!"_ Everyone's expressions, minus Go's and Atsuki's, changed as they heard those words.

Satoshi stopped fuming to stare at Kenta in disgust, as Megumi let go of his shoulders to glare at Kenta. Yoko just looked taken aback by that declaration, while the little witches couldn't decide whether to be disgusted or angry. Even the normally kind Jasminka was giving Kenta a frown.

And then, Atsuki let out a small laugh. She covered her mouth quickly as everyone turned to stare at her, Kenta included.

" _Hah! Are you serious, Kenta?"_ Atsuki asked, smiling sadly. " _Oh, if only I had known…"_ Then, the girl's expression changed, her smile was gone and replaced by a thin line, and a bored look. " _Well, if that's how you really feel...hmph," Atsuki shrugged, "I don't see how that's any of my business."_

Kenta stared at her. " _..wha...what?"_

" _Those are your feelings, right? Why should I care?"_

" _Wha...what do you mean it's not 'your problem'!?"_ Kenta screeched, her face red.

" _You have admirers by the dozens, and little errand boys, like trash boy and magic boy over there. You're popular and successful. And I'm happy for you...but, everything else…"_ Atsuki shrugged her shoulders. " _Why should I care about your feelings for something that you brought on yourself?"_ The girl glared at the other singer, her look making Kenta stop for a moment to stare Atsuki right in the eye. " _You want to feel that way. Fine. Do so. But this is none of my business...and I don't want you making it so."_

" _Ha!"_ Kenta sneered. " _See!? See!? This is the kind of attitude I'm talking about! Thinking you're all that! Thinking you're better than me! I'm Satou Kenta, the Star of Shibuya!"_ Atsuki shrugged again, and that made Kenta even angrier than before. " _You were some washed out brat that got picked up because that old hag felt sorry for you! You hear me! She. Felt. Sorry. You're just some nobody that got some stupid nickname! The Princess of Tokyo! How stupid!"_ Kenta stomped a foot on the wooden stage, glaring down at it, before staring at the uninterested Atsuki. " _I AM A STAR! You...you're just some...some...NOBODY!"_ Atsuki let out a small laugh, and shook her head.

" _And here comes the star demanding why the princess appears to shine brighter...do you realize how childish that sounds, Kenta?"_ Atsuki lets out a small scoff, and then, glares at the other singer, her green eyes sharp and serious. " _I think you better leave. Now."_

But Kenta is not leaving. She's breathing fast, enraged that Atsuki is ignoring her, enraged that Atsuki doesn't even care. " _You...you think you can just kick me out!? I'm_ _ー"_

" _Satou-san, please leave the premises before I call security."_ The sharp and cold voice makes everyone look behind Kenta, and notice the young woman with a business suit and glasses, her long, brown hair held in a bun.

" _Ah, Mamori-san, there you are,"_ Atsuki said, smiling. " _We were all looking for you."_

" _Good. I was looking for you, myself,"_ the woman, Mamori, replies, nodding. She turns to Kenta, and clicks her tongue. " _Did I not make myself clear, Satou-san? Leave, before I call security...or would you rather I call your manager and explain to him that you're harassing Kurosawa? What do you prefer? Public humiliation? Or criminal charges? Take your pick or leave."_ Kenta sends a withering glare Atsuki's way.

" _...I hope you crash and burn."_

Atsuki hums and replies, " _That's funny. I thought only stars could do that."_ Kenta glares again, but a small cough from Mamori stops her. She and Atsuki exchanged a look, before Kenta turns and walks away as quickly as possible.

"...wait...that's it?" Amanda asks after Kenta is gone. "You're...you're just gonna let her get away with it?" It's Satoshi that answers.

" _...that bitch...she didn't admit to anything."_

"Are you sure about that?" Amanda still sounded confused. "She literally wasted breath telling us all how jealous she was of Atsuki!"

"She just insulted Akko-san and made her attitude towards her very clear," Mamori said in perfect English. "Whatever you think she did, you'll need evidence. She-said-he-said arguments give me a headache."

"You're kidding!" Amanda turned to Atsuki, who let out a small smile.

"...she really didn't admit to any wrongdoing…"

"But, but...that's so unfair!" Lotte remarked.

"She still didn't get what she wanted in the end, though, if that's any consolation," Atsuki replied, smiling.

" _Yuppie...then,"_ Megumi muttered, sounding annoyed by Atsuki's remark. " _How can you let this go, Akko-chan? It's maddening!"_

" _Because it's Kenta's problem,"_ Atsuki answers.

" _You're terrible,"_ Megumi whines but Atuski only lets out a giggle. Go laughs too, despite not understanding a thing. Satoshi just sighed and placed his hands over his face.

" _All this freaking mess because of her...why is the world so cruel?"_

" _Are you insulting my luck, Satoshi?"_ Atsuki asked him, pinching him on the cheek, despite the hands barrier. " _I heard that! You're insulting my luck, aren't you?"_

As Atsuki and Satoshi (along with Go) began a small, cheerful banter, as Megumi and Mamori watched. Yoko, for her part, turned towards the little witches and let out a sigh.

" _Well, this wasn't what I expected when I came here to help…"_

"You're telling us," Sucy muttered in agreement. "I've seen envy...well, at least she's not dead..."

"Sucy…" Lotte glared at her friend, as Amanda and her teammates exchanged looks, Jasminka's smile returning to her face.

"I'm almost sorry for comparing you to her, by the way," Amanda said towards Diana, but Diana just answered with a sigh, as she watched Atsuki teasing Satoshi, while Go cheered her on.

"This...this could have ended terribly," the Cavendish heir commented, placing a hand on her cheek and leaning on it.

" _It's a good thing it didn't. Ah, time is a fickle thing after all."_ Yoko answered. The girls all turned towards the miko, who smiled. " _A pair of ladies came to the inner temple looking for you. They explained everything, by the way."_

"Ah...so, you know…" Lotte began, as Yoko nodded.

" _You kids shouldn't really be too hard on yourselves. Some things are just meant to happen. Whether they're an hour late or not."_ The miko turned to the crying monk, and tapping him gently with her staff said, " _Can I trust you will behave while I take these girls back to the temple with me?"_ The monk nodded.

" _Y-yeah…"_

" _Magatamas and wand, please."_ Yoko said, stretching her hand towards the boy, who picked up his wand and gave her four magatamas, all glowing green with power. " _A 40, 000 yen expense...and that doesn't go over the broken ones."_ The miko gave the boy a light tap in the head with a magatama that was held by a chain. " _You're lucky Kato-sama is letting Atsuki-san decide your punishment if not, she would have forced you to pay for every single thing you damaged...the shop, the stage...a broom, maybe."_ She hid the magatamas inside her haori, before staring at Sucy and Diana. " _Your turn now. I can't have you going back home with those things, after all."_ The two witches nodded, quickly giving her the magatamas, who disappeared inside the haori's hidden pocket. "Say your goodbyes, kids, I will wait."

Diana sent her a nod, as Lotte and the others followed after her. By then, Atsuki and Satoshi had stopped, and were talking animatedly with Mamori.

Go noticed them first, and waving, managed to catch his onee-chan's attention. Atsuki turned, and smiled as the girls approached.

"I'm guessing you're leaving, right?" Diana nodded.

"Yes...it seems our little adventure is over."

"Not much of an adventure if you think about it," Atsuki pointed out. "I wouldn't call it very adventurous being turned into a broom and all…" The girl shakes her head. "I'm really sorry about this. You girls getting into trouble at my expense...I really shouldn't have let you use magic at all."

"There is no need for that." Diana shook her head. "That was our own doing. We wanted to help."

"It just so happens there was a bitch in cheap's clothing hanging around that messed everything up," Amanda said, making Atsuki laugh. "...Are you sure it's okay for her to be let off so easily?" Atsuki seemed to think about it.

"If Kenta knows what's good for her, then she won't pull another stunt like that again. And won't be able to, seeing as I'm retiring."

"But she could still give you a hard time," Lotte pointed out. Atsuki shook her head.

"Kenta wanted a fight and I just ignored her. She will have to grow out of this eventually."

"What if she never learns? What then?" Sucy asked her. The girl just smiled.

"Then, we might have problems. But until then, I will just not care about what Kenta thinks." That remark got a small chuckle out of the witches, even the frowning Constanze, who smiled.

" _Oi! Akko-chan!"_ Atsuki and the others turned to stare at Megumi, who was waving at them. " _We have to get this show on the road! Oh! And you girls are welcome to stay around, too! But if you're not helping, move it! Come on, Useless Kagari!"_

" _H-hey! Why am I still 'Useless Kagari'!?"_ Satoshi cried out, as he followed after Megumi, Mamori nodded towards Atsuki and the girls, before following after them. Go let out a small cheer, as he moved to follow, before thinking better of it, and sticking close to Atsuki.

Atsuki let out another small laugh, and shook her head. She turned to the girls and nodded. "It was a pleasure." Atsuki extended a hand towards Diana, who took it gladly and shook it.

"Likewise," Diana replied with a smile. Lotte smiled, too. And even Sucy managed a small grin.

Yoko clapped her hands behind them.

" _Alright! Let us get going, then!"_ The older woman patted Atsuki's shoulder, saying she'll come to see the show later, before she left the stage, followed closely by Diana, Lotte, Sucy and the members of the green team, who all waved at Atsuki goodbye. Go waved at them, jumping from one foot to another.

" _Bye! Bye!"_

Atsuki watched them go, until she couldn't see them anymore, before she turned to Go and said, " _You think we'll see them again, Go?"_

Go smiled, confusion writing all over his face. " _Why? They are onee-chan's friends, right? Don't friends see each other all the time?"_

The girl let out a laugh, and with a grin, answered, " _That's right. Friends will one day see each other again...won't they?"_ With that, Atsuki picked Go in her arms, and walked after her friends.

Six hours to go, and for once in a while, Atsuki was happy.


	13. An Encore

Note:

 _"People that talk in italics are talking a different language in this story's case, Japanese!"_

* * *

 **-13-**

 **An Encore**

"What do you mean you tried to burn down the school!?"

Ah, another glorious Monday morning at Luna Nova.

"Why would you do that!?"

"We didn't do it on purpose, you know. So, it caught fire and Cavendish made it worse...so, by that logic, most of it was her fault really."

"Sucy!"

"What?"

Lotte shook her head at her friend, as she turned to stare at the wide-eyed Akko, who couldn't really believe what she was hearing.

Sunday had been nothing but trouble ever since Lotte and the others returned from their 'little adventure', as Professor Ursula put it. As soon as the girls and their two professors hit Luna Nova, in the right time and place of course, they had quickly marched to the Headmistress's office where the girls explained, in detail, what had occurred earlier that day in the classroom.

Sucy started with the memory potion and Diana ended it with the pot catching on fire. The effect created a portal that sucked the girls in, and sent them back to the past where they met Akko's mother and how she had been turned into a broom, and the rest was history as it were. Holbrooke had just shaken her head after hearing the details.

"At least it didn't get worse," was all the old lady said before announcing to the girls that they would be punished, accident or not.

Professor Ursula, of course, had protested, considering that it was _an_ accident, but the Headmistress wouldn't change her mind. The girls were punished with three months of chores, plus, they would be staying home for the holidays.

It was a fair punishment, considering what had almost occurred. At the very least, the Headmistress allowed the girls their vacations, informing them that their punishment would start after the Easter holidays were over. Amanda had almost being thankful for that, almost. Diana had pursed her lips, not happy, but hadn't really protested. Lotte had just let out a loud sigh, disappointed she wouldn't be seeing her parents until winter vacations started; the Finnish witch still wasn't sure if her mother would be make it in time for that visit just a week after Easter vacations were done. Sucy and the two remaining members of the green team had just accepted their punishments with some shrugs and a sad smile.

Holbrooke had prohibited the girls from telling the truth about the incident, instead, they all agreed that the official story would be that the girls had almost burned down the school with a bad recipe and not that the bad recipe had sent the girls back in time where they met their classmate's mother and their meddling in that particular part of history almost ended up breaking her in half as it were. The details of Akko's accident were a little harder to make up about, but they decided upon a bad bug that the girl had caught for not taking care of herself correctly on account of working too hard on her project. Matilda had come up with that story. It had calmed the other students down, mostly.

When Monday finally came, Lotte and Sucy made their way to the infirmary and were surprised to find Hannah England and Barbara Parker coming out of the infirmary along with Diana.

Diana had been glad to see them and informed them that Akko was awake, and doing well, considering the awful circumstances of her 'illness'. Apparently, Diana had planned to visit her later in the day but her teammates insisted on coming to see Akko on account of returning something.

"It's her work," Hannah had explained.

Once Akko had been taken to the infirmary, Hannah and Barbara took to the job of collecting the papers she had dropped before she collapsed.

"We figured she might need them," Barbara added, unsure of what else to say.

Akko was obviously not presenting today, nor during the week. She was staying in bed for the reminder of the week, according to Diana. The nurse had been very explicit of keeping Akko for 'observation' in case of complications.

The girl had moaned about it, surprisingly.

"I am to assume...she really wanted to tell her story," Diana had said, smiling sadly, before she and the rest of her team left, wishing Sucy and Lotte a good morning and that they will see them later in class.

Akko had been so happy to see them, but now she was rather shocked to hear what had happened while she was out for the count.

"So, wait! Diana got in trouble, too!?"

"She caused the explosion," Sucy remarked, as Lotte sighed.

"She was trying to help...when the cauldron began spewing flames...and well..." Lotte tried to explain only for Sucy to finish with a "maybe it was a group effort." Akko stared at them for a while before she let out a small giggle.

"...I can't believe you guys almost burned down the school!" Lotte was suddenly reminded of Atsuki, and smiled. Sucy smiled too, and shrugged. "...oh man! I really shouldn't be laughing," Akko went on, her grin turning into a frown. "You guys won't be going on vacation!"

"Eh, it's fine." Sucy told her. "I was just planning to collect some poison samples, no reason why I can't do it here."

"Besides," Lotte said. "We won't start our punishment until after vacations so that's a good thing."

"Yeah! But you told me how much you wanted to go back home, though! Well, maybe just you Lotte...Sucy doesn't really care." Sucy nodded.

"You're right. I don't."

"I'm sure," Lotte replied with a roll of her eyes. "We saw Diana and her teammates here…" Akko's expression turned soft and she smiled, pointing a thumb to the sheets that lay by the bedside table.

"They came to return my notes!"

"I hope that was it," Sucy said, only for Akko to shake her head.

"Nah...I kinda, also apologized for scaring them when I collapsed...Nurse Matilda got angry at me for that...the getting sick part," Akko explained, as Lotte and Sucy shared a look. It was almost a good thing that Akko wasn't as observant or levelheaded as her mother had been when they met her...almost. The fact that Akko had believed she had fallen sick was a blessing. That and the fact that Akko couldn't really remember much leading up to that unfortunate episode. "Guess what else? Well, Diana offered me some tutoring! Tutoring!" Akko frowned. "Why would she suddenly say that?"

"Well, maybe your accident made her think?" Lotte said, but she knew that this was Diana's way of making amends to Akko for the whole mess they had caused that had led to Atsuki turning into a broom and Akko almost dying.

"Why, though?" Akko turned her eyes to the side and pouted. "...it's so weird...seeing her being helpful...at least to me."

"I say, take advantage of it." Sucy said. "If anything, it will help raise that D to a C minus." Akkot turned to her friend and glared, making Sucy smirk and Lotte laugh.

"I agree with Sucy, though," Lotte smiled. "Diana's offering...why not take it?"

Akko frowned. "I'm not sure."

"Come on, Diana may hate your guts, but she's alright." Sucy went on. "Sure, she's a little too full of herself, but there are worse people out there." And that worse person almost ended up killing Akko's mother just a day prior.

Akko sighed and nodded.

"Alright...I'll...I'll think about it." Lotte clapped.

"That's great!"

"I said I'll think about it!" Akko replied, blushing slightly.

The girls were quiet for a while before Lotte ventured to ask, "How are you feeling?"

"Oh!" Akko patted her stomach gently. "My stomach's a bit sore...but I'm alright. Not that it convinces Matilda-sensei to let me go."

"Well, you kinda were choking on your own spit yesterday," Sucy pointed out, making Akko shudder.

"Don't remind me! I don't even remember that and I don't like it!"

"At least you're okay, now…" Lotte said soothingly, patting Akko's hand. "So, Diana told us you were staying for the whole week, right?" Akko groaned.

"Yeah….oh man! After all that work! I won't even get to present it!"

"At least you're getting excused from classes, and Finnelan canceled the thing because of your accident." Akko pouted.

"It seems so unfair."

"Not really, she's giving everyone, including you, extra credit. Although I'm not even sure why she's giving you credit, considering you didn't finish anything at all." Akko just pouted some more before she let out a sigh, and then, grinned.

"At least I'm excused from all my classes…and homework!" the Japanese witch smiled. "Maybe I should take up Diana on her offer...I'm going to be sooo behind by the end of it all."

"I thought you already were?" Sucy asked, getting a glare for all her trouble.

"SUCY!"

Lotte just laughed, happy to see her friend in such high spirits.

Akko pouted again, and glanced at her sheets of paper. The girl let out a small frown, and then, sighed. "You know...I was actually excited about work...for once. I didn't even get to finish."

"Well, it wasn't really your fault...you did faint, after all." Akko was silent for a while, before staring at her papers and muttering,

" _私は疑問に思う_ _..."_

Lotte and Sucy exchanged glances.

They had lost the ability to understand Japanese some hours back but they hoped whatever she was saying was a good thing.

"You know...you guys told me all about your families and you didn't even get to hear about mine." Akko smiled. "Since I made you wait, it's only fair I tell you! But…" Akko suddenly turned shy, and she began twiddling with her fingers. "...you guys better not laugh! Mama told me you guys might not take my word for it." Lotte and Sucy shared a look.

"I'm sure it couldn't be that extravagant," Sucy began. Akko just made a face her way, before Lotte intervened.

"Don't listen to her, Akko...we would love to hear it." Akko's eyes shined and she smiled.

"Alright! Get ready to be amazed!"

"So you say," Sucy said with a smile and a roll of her eye, but she was listening along with Lotte, as Akko began her story.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Just like Sucy, Akko's family was small.

Her mother had been an only child and had very few cousins to speak off. Even then, those cousins had never been close, unlike her father's side of the family. Like her mother, Akko's father was an only child, his parents having past away when he was very young, leaving his grandparents to raise him. The Kagari family were all over Tokyo, but they mostly consisted of cousins, uncles, and a few grand uncles and grand aunts that Akko had never met.

Her mother, Atsuki, had lost her father, Yuujin, when she was eighteen, and had gone to live with the Kagaris until she and Satoshi, Akko's father, married. The two had been playmates for so long, everyone wasn't really surprised that they ended up together.

Eventually, Atsuki decided to take after her father and became a police officer, while Satoshi, who was good with numbers, decided a career on accounting. Akko remembered her father saying he was particularly useless outside of loving his family and counting. Her mother would always laugh and Akko would never understand why.

And then, Akko talked a bit more about her mother.

She hadn't always wanted to be a police officer, the Japanese witch explained.

Atsuki had been raised by a widowed father, who had married an enka singer called Ringo. Her grandmother had died a year after Atsuki was born, but it seemed she took after her mother more than her father.

Akko's mother had always wanted to sing, and when she was thirteen, with her father's support, managed to get the confidence she needed to go to a studio in Shibuya and make her mark in Tokyo. And despite being rejected time and time again, her mother didn't give up until one day, she caught the eye of a woman, an agent working for that studio in Shibuya. Her career began a few months later and she became an instant success. Akko really didn't go into detail about how successful Atsuki had become but she explained that her father had most of the merchandise and posters from those concerts...even a few VHS with recorded game shows where her mother had appeared. Her mother always blushed when they saw them, but she always smiled by the end.

But then, Yuujin got sick and Atsuki realized that life was too short to be wasting it in concerts and decided to retire before finishing her second year, with only ten concerts to her name and a CD for Tokyo to remember her by.

The "Princess of Tokyo" retirement had sent shockwaves throughout Tokyo, and despite the press and the opportunities, Atsuki had put her foot down and decided to stop being a princess so she could be a daughter to her father. Despite Yuujin's death two years later, Atsuki treasured those few years with her father and would always tell story about him when asked.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"You know...you never did say how she got it…"

"Huh? Got what?"

"Her nickname. Why call a singer the 'Princess of Tokyo' anyway?"

"Heh. It's a really cute story, actually."

"Really?"

"Yep! She got it on one of her concerts...you see, the place was crowded, and well, a little girl had gotten separated from her mother…"

"Oh, no...the poor thing…"

"...well, this girl ends up running where my mom was staying, and, well, mom was wearing this gorgeous looking dress and a crown of flowers on her head...so, this little kid sees this pretty girl smiling at her and offering help and she immediately calls her a princess! Mom didn't think much about it...but then, they found the girl's mother and the kid was calling her princess all over again. Apparently, someone nearby had heard and that's how the name spread."

"That's amazing!"

"Heh...she helped a kid and became a princess. And here I thought she was as useless as you."

"H-hey!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in a different place and time, a young couple was fixing themselves a meal.

Seven months into her retirement had done Atsuki good. She smiled more and enjoyed life in general, sure, she had been stopped from time to time by old fans but that was becoming scarce as the days went by. Not that it bothered her. Atsuki had expected her popularity to die down eventually.

Now, the only thing Atsuki had to worry about was her studies and her father's health, which had started to improve as the days passed by. It seemed that quitting his job and enjoying his retirement was doing wonders for him.

" _Well, I guess this is good to go, yes?"_ Satoshi asked, eyeing the bentos they had prepared for their date, as he adjusted his glasses.

" _Good enough."_ Atsuki agreed, grinning at the small little rice cat that she made. " _When was the last time we had a picnic, anyway?"_

" _Two months ago, remember? When Megumi 'helped' with the food?"_

Atsuki laughed. " _Oh! I remember now! How could I forget almost chocking on that rice?"_ Satoshi rolled his eyes.

" _Oh, sure, laugh now…"_

" _I was laughing then, too."_

" _You were crying, Atsuki."_

" _Tears of joy."_

Atsuki laughed again, while Satoshi softened his expression.

He still remembered retelling the story to Yuujin, the old man almost pulling a muscle from laughing too hard, with Satoshi pleading with him to stop doing so. Atsuki also didn't help when, after recovering, began laughing along with him.

" _At least Megumi apologized."_ Atsuki said after her giggles died down.

" _Yes, to you."_ Satoshi grumbled. " _She literally messed with_ my _food and blamed_ me _when you ate it."_

" _Oh, you're always so negative…"_ Atsuki fixed his glasses and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. " _The rice was still good, though...burning, but good."_ Satoshi grinned and was about to respond with a kiss of his own, when the front door was kicked open, and in marched Sasaki Megumi, holding a CD in a hand, and a booklet in the other, looking furious.

" _And here she is. Hi, Megumi…."_ Satoshi muttered, as Atsuki smirked and waved at Megumi. Their friend ignored Atsuki's wave and marched towards the couple.

" _I will kill her!"_ Atsuki and Satoshi glanced at each other, and before Megumi slammed the compact case hard on the counter and turned to stare at her friends. " _Atsuki! I WANT MURDER!"_

" _Megumi...I hope for all our sakes you're talking about a metal rock band…"_

" _You have to look at this! Look at this!"_ She thrust the booklet right in front of Atsuki's face, with the other girl looking at it in confusion.

" _...what exactly am I looking for?"_

" _Don't you see!?"_

" _No,"_ Satoshi said, pointing at the booklet. " _It's backwards."_

" _Huh?"_ Megumi stared at the couple before turning the booklet around, and pointing at it. " _That bitch! She took your songs!"_

" _What?"_

Atsuki grabbed the booklet from her angry friend's hands and began to read. A couple of seconds later, recognition passed through her eyes, before she, cheerfully, hit the little book with a hand. " _Ha! So that's where my notebook ended up with!"_

" _WHAT!? She stole your songs!?"_ Satoshi cried, glaring at the booklet.

" _She's a cheat and a thief!"_ Megumi yelled, fuming. " _Why aren't you more upset about this, Atsuki!? She stole your songs!"_ Atsuki shrugged and put the booklet on the counter.

" _But I don't sing anymore."_

" _She stole your songs!"_ Megumi repeated, pointing an accusing finger at the booklet and CD. " _And she's taking credit! Doesn't that bother you!?"_ Atsuki thought for a moment, before she shook her head.

" _Not really. I can always write more songs."_

" _...Atsuki she_ stole _your songs. She had those little punks break into your home and steal all your hard work!"_ Atsuki shook her head and smiled.

" _Look at the bright side...those two have changed their ways and apologized, so there's that. Not so much for that guy that worked with Ryoga-san's crew, though...he was a real piece of work, that one."_

" _Akko-chaaannnn…"_ Megumi whined.

" _She's right, Akko...we should do something about this!"_ Satoshi said, looking furious but determined. " _Let's call Mamori! She'll know what to do!"_ But Atsuki was having none of that. She shook her head and stared at her boyfriend right in the eye.

" _Oh? So you're ditching our picnic now?"_

" _Huh?"_ Satoshi blinked.

" _Getting back at Kenta is more important than our date?"_

" _No! I mean! Of course not!"_

" _Then...why is this more important than our date?"_ Atsuki pressed. " _I don't mind a burned-up star singing my songs but I do mind when my boyfriend thinks he can ditch me because of his righteous fury!"_ Satoshi stared at Atsuki for a few seconds, before sighing, and taking her hands and holding them close.

" _...fine. She can have your songs...and we can have our date...but...this is so wrong, Akko…"_ Atsuki smiled.

" _I know."_

Megumi just groaned. " _She's going to get away with this, then…"_

Atsuki nodded. " _I suppose so...let's let Kenta be bitter. She's doing it to herself after all."_

" _Fine."_ Megumi grabbed the booklet and CD case and in a switch movement, ripped the two apart, plastic case and all, and then, dumped it into the trash. " _She's a bitch."_

Atsuki shook her head as she and Satoshi separated and began to pack their bentos. Megumi watched the couple place the lunches and some drinks inside a basket.

" _Let's go watch a movie tomorrow? What do you say, Megumi?"_ Atsuki asked her, as she and Satoshi got ready to leave. Megumi smiled and nodded.

" _Sure. He's not coming, then?"_ her friend said, glancing at Satoshi who glared at her.

" _I suppose not."_ Atsuki told her, patting Satoshi's arm as he grabbed the basket and began walking towards the door. " _You pick the movie or should I?"_

" _I'll find something entertaining...preferably were the villain gets what's coming to her."_ Satoshi let out a small laugh as Atsuki smiled.

She waved goodbye at Megumi and close the door behind her, and taking Satoshi's free arm, walked, slowly towards their destination.

The future was looking bright.

* * *

And done! Phew...sorry it took a while.

Expect a sequel for this story some time this week...already finished that one! I just need to do some revisions.

Anyway, see you next time and again, sorry for the delay! :)


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